At a recent Starkville Board of Aldermen work session, the board decided to reconsider how Starkville is spending its funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The original ARPA plan gave parks $5.5 million of Starkville’s allocated $6.2 million. Now, two other projects could either split the ARPA funds with parks or solely receive the funds.
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann recently announced that he plans to fund-match Mississippi cities’ ARPA funds. Due to this, Starkville is reconfiguring its ARPA spending to enhance its chances of receiving the additional money.
“We added to our options, and that was because my understanding is Lt. Gov. Hosemann’s interest is stronger in having water and sewer infrastructure, and so this allows us to add that complement to the options that are available to us to present to him,” Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said.
Funds could potentially go toward Main Street renovations and the Highway 182 BUILD grant project.
Main Street renovations include repaving the street, removing turning lanes and restructuring sidewalks for a more walkable downtown. 
The Highway 182 BUILD plan also improves pedestrian friendliness and makes the highway wheelchair-accessible. Additionally, broadband accessibility will improve, and other infrastructure and drainage issues are getting fixed.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development Transportation Discretionary Grant program granted $12.66 million to Starkville for Highway 182 renovations. However, Spruill said the city has already exceeded its budget due to time, labor and manufacturing costs. Receiving ARPA funds for the highway means that the city might not have to borrow more money from the state or federal government.
Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk clarified that ARPA funds could be used on any number of projects the city may wish to use the money on. However, the funds are limited, so the city and the Board of Aldermen must decide how much money to allocate to each project and how to pay for them.
Spruill said she wanted to keep Starkville’s options as flexible as possible to receive the maximum amount of matching funds available.
“You have to take advantage of everything you can, and with the state having a good amount of money that they want to put toward municipalities, I wanted to make sure that the options that were available to us were as broad as possible based on (Lt. Gov. Hosemann’s) level of interest in some particular projects,”  Spruill said.
Depending on the state’s match, Starkville leaders will then decide which project will receive ARPA funds. 
“We are just trying to make sure that we fall under any category that may be acceptable to the legislature, to the Mississippi legislature, as they offer those matching dollars,” Spruill said.
Agreeing with the mayor, Sistrunk said Starkville has no shortage of ideas.
“The good news is, we have lots of projects and they all fit in the criteria somebody is looking at,” Sistrunk said.
Paisley Hamilton owns Serendipity Hippie, which is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive East and is set to see improvements from the Highway 182 BUILD grant. Hamilton said the restructuring is much needed, and she is especially looking forward to having drainage and sewage problems solved.
“There will definitely be growing pains,” Hamilton said, “but I think it will be beautiful to bridge the gap between this older part of Starkville (Highway 182) and Main Street.”
As a citizen of Starkville, Hamilton said she appreciates city leaders’ initiatives to build Starkville to be the best it can be for its residents and visitors. She said she enjoys the addition of sidewalks around town and says a walkable city is a great way to link Starkville with Mississippi State University’s campus.
Even though all three proposals may not receive ARPA funds, Spruill and Sistrunk say the city is set to start and complete construction on each initiative within the next few years.
“Every day is a new day, and some days I kind of worry that we won’t get them all done,” Sistrunk said, “but I think they’re all worthwhile projects. I think they’re all transformational projects for the city of Starkville … And more ways than not, I think we can find a way to finance them that’s palatable. 
Since Main Street, Highway 182 and parks renovations are all infrastructure related, Sistrunk said the city may borrow money from the state for 20 years, which keeps the individual payments lower to prevent the town from accruing more debt.
Starkville is keeping its options open and will not narrow down a decision until Lt. Gov. Hosemann and Mississippi legislators decide how to fund-match.
Sistrunk said each plan for improvements around town is transformative to ensure long-lasting benefits.
“I think they’re the kind of projects that will impact our city for a long time and will position us to be one of those few cities in the state that has an opportunity to really grow and prosper,” Sistrunk said, “and that’s what this is all about.”