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The Pike County Commission and City of Troy will get a budget boost from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

The bill was signed into last week and Alabama received $4.034 billion to help boost governmental budgets that were hit hard by shortfalls due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both the Pike County Commission and Troy City Council were notified each agency had received a portion of the state’s funding. Pike County will receive $6.4 million and the City of Troy will receive $3.5 million.

However, just when the money will arrive and how the money can be spent is still largely unknown. Speaking at a Pike County Republican Women luncheon last week, Pike County Commission Chairman Robin Sullivan said there wasn’t a lot of concrete information about the American Rescue Plan funding just yet. He said a state committee had been formed to develop guidelines for use of the money.

“[County Administrator] McKenzie Wilson has been selected for that committee,” Sullivan said. “So, we’ll have a voice in the decision on how the money can be spent. But, right now, we don’t know how we can spend it.”

Wilson said the committee is in the organizational stages right now, so nothing has been decided. She said the money from the American Rescue Plan would be awarded in two separate amounts. She said the first half would be awarded in May or June. She said it was unclear when the next award would be made. She said it could possibly be 2022 or 2023. But, she said, the money had to be spent in four years.

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves notified the Troy City Council the city had received $3.5 million at its March 23 meeting, but were waiting on spending guidelines.