American Rescue Plan Funding Applied to Wide Variety of Needs, Says National League of Cities Head3/30/2023 Passage of the nearly $2 trillion American Rescue Plan Act has indisputably aided the economic recovery of municipal areas from coast to coast, contends the head of a major urban government organization. In remarks made during a National League of Cities conference in the nation’s capital, Victoria Woodward, president of the organization, remarked that the Rescue Plan Act has proven to be “a lifeline to all of America’s cities, towns and villages.” Woodward added that funding from the legislation has allowed local governments to keep essential services in place, mentioning in particular, “trash collection, police, fire, and so much more.” The NLC head said that an interview with any city leader would quickly reveal “a number of critical programs that they have been able to fund with ARPA dollars.” Woodward also lauded the program’s flexibility, allowing local leaders to determine what projects have been most in need, rather than leaving such decisions entirely in the hands of Washington. “When you give money to local cities, towns, and villages, we know the best how to spend it,” Woodward added. A recent report jointly compiled by the NCL, the National Association of Counties, and the Brookings Institute, revealed that some 328 cities and counties were able to use Rescue Plan funding in the last year, applying that funding to just a little over 8,800 projects. How the funding was spent had a distinct regional flavor, with cities and counties in the Northeast emphasizing public health initiatives and their counterparts in the Midwest doing the same with public safety. Cities and counties in the South prioritized infrastructure work, while those same entities in the West tended to support community aid. Overall, some 43% of ARPA funding went to government operations; with 11% targeting public health priorities; and 10% each going to infrastructure and housing efforts. By Garry Boulard
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Get stories like these right to your inbox.
|