Gainesville, MO. – The Ozark County Commissioners Office have backed out on their original commitment of $1,000,000 to development of region-wide high-speed internet, and instead have opted for 1/5th of their original amount.
$200,000 has been sent via check to the White River Valley Electric Cooperative showing a clear distinctive difference between the spoken-of amount and the actual commitment.
The Ozark County Times broke this story and spoke to the Ozark County Commissioner, Terry Newton who stated that while they hated to go back on a commitment, there were several major county building improvement needs, as well as funding issues that needed to be addressed.
Part of the reason for this reduction also appears to lie in the fact that through various applications, WRVEC was the largest recipient of ARPA grants in the state of Missouri, totaling up to over $47 million with further grant money being possible going forward.
Newton went on to state that the remaining $800,000 that has been freed up from this decision will be allocated towards repair and maintenance of the county jail, the courthouse, and the recycling center.
