IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County is redistributing a share of its American Rescue Plan funds to the county’s seven townships, promising each of them a $100,000 allocation for infrastructure.

The county is receiving $4.9 million under ARP, a federal pandemic aid package authorized in March 2021. Townships are receiving their own ARP aid as well, but the amounts vary widely due to a population-based formula.

In redistributing $700,000 of its ARP share, the county board decided at a March 17 finance meeting to approve a flat amount of $100,000 for each township. Townships were informed of the disbursement by Controller Brian Bousley at a March 21 meeting of the Dickinson County Townships Association.

Each township’s spending is subject to approval by the county board and the invoices will go through the county, Bousley said.

At the county board’s regular meeting Monday, Commissioner John Degenaer Jr. said the Dickinson County Road Commission is being put in the difficult position of having to come up with matching funds for multiple road projects. He suggested the board consider helping the road commission, too.

Commissioner Barbara Kramer said the county can wait to see if there’s a problem, as some townships may choose projects other than roads.

At the recent finance meeting, the board also approved spending $23,250 in ARP funds on police report software that can be used by the county sheriff’s department, Michigan State Police and officers in Iron Mountain, Kingsford and Norway.

The county is picking up the initial cost for the Core Technologies software, which will provide a uniform system for the county prosecutor’s office, Bousley said. Individual agencies have agreed to assume the ongoing maintenance costs, he said.

Other ARP spending the board approved this year includes $108,875 to replace the grandstand roof at the county fairgrounds in Norway; $36,000 for a boarding ramp at Ford Airport; a $70,000 helicopter assembly kit for a Dickinson-Iron Career Technical Education Center course at the airport; and $69,200 for tuckpointing on the brick courthouse and its clock tower.

The county has until the end of 2024 to obligate the federal funds and until the end of 2026 to fully expend them.

Breitung Township is set to receive the highest amount of population-based ARP federal aid in Dickinson County at $593,575, while West Branch Township’s share is the lowest at just $6,803. The other township amounts are Norway, $149,153; Sagola, $112,623; Waucedah, $81,432; Felch, $76,408; and Breen, $50,869.

The county’s cities are also receiving population-based aid under ARP. Those amounts are Iron Mountain, $765,022; Kingsford, $518,214; and Norway, $287,629.

The county board hasn’t discussed any direct aid to the three cities, but Bousley said it hasn’t been ruled out.