Counties and the American Rescue Plan Act Recovery Fund: Intergovernmental Partnerships
Upcoming Events
Related News
The Recovery Fund and Partnerships
The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund), part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which NACo helped to develop and strongly advocated to pass, allocates $65.1 billion. These funds provide direct, flexible aid for every county, parish and borough in America. Counties are on the front lines in delivering this aid to residents and are a driving force connecting communities and strengthening the economy.
As directed by the ARPA and the U.S. Department of Treasury, counties can invest Recovery Funds into a broad range of programs, services and projects under four categories: public sector revenue; public health and economic response; premium pay for essential workers and water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.
Since the enactment of the ARPA, America’s counties have been working hard to develop Recovery Fund implementation plans that will help spur an equitable economic recovery across the nation. As sound financial stewards, counties are investing these critical Recovery Funds to ensure the health and well-being of our nation’s residents and the economic vitality of our local communities. Many counties are in the preliminary stages of development and implementation of Recovery Fund Plans. This report highlights county investments complemented by intergovernmental partnerships to efficiently deliver programs and services, leverage state funding opportunities and support a regional approach to recovery.
Counties Manage Billions in Intergovernmental Revenue
Annually, counties receive $196 billion in intergovernmental revenue including federal, state and local sources. These funds are integral for county operations, services and programs.
Source: NACo Analysis of U.S. Census Bureau - Census of Individual Governments: Finance, 2017
Counties Plan to Invest Recovery Funds to:
Counties are Fostering Intergovernmental Partnerships to Support Key Investments
How will counties invest the funds? NACo analysis of 200 county ARPA Recovery Fund plans reveals county-designed investments in the community across key areas of need. These local priorities are found within county plans at the rate displayed in the chart. Intergovernmental partnerships are unique in that they encompass all topic areas detailed below. The examples in this report further illustrate county allocations to support these integral partnerships across areas of need.
Counties and the American Rescue Plan Act Recovery Fund: Rural Communities
This report highlights how counties have begun investing Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to support rural communities and residents across the country.
Resource
County Investments of American Rescue Plan Recovery Funds
Supreme Court allows new SAVE citizenship voter verification system to proceed
On Sept. 25, the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the White House to pause a lower court’s ruling blocking its use of a new SAVE system ahead of the midterms.
Supreme Court declines emergency review of USPS mail-in ballot rule, leaving nationwide block in place
The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to allow the Trump administration to move forward with its Executive Order 14399 directing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to compile official U.S. citizenship lists to be used in voter citizenship verification and the U.S. Postal Service to impose new mail-in ballot restrictions.
Census Bureau proposes permanent changes to the 2030 Decennial Census
On September 10, the U.S Census Bureau published a proposed rule to the 2030 Decennial Census that would create two new parts of the 15 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that among other changes would a) define “usual residence” that excludes foreign persons previously counted that are not U.S. citizens or lawful residents, and b) would eliminate any questions about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation from the census questionnaire used to enumerate the population. The proposed ruling outlines only 30 days for public comments, which are due on October 13.
Congress passes short-term funding bill, keeping the federal government funded through Dec. 11 and delaying OMB rule
The U.S. Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend government funding through December 11 and delay the OMB proposed rule on Unform Guidance that governs how every federal grant can be administered.
Senate Funding Bill Delivers a Win for Counties, Delaying OMB's Uniform Guidance Proposed Rule
The Senate Appropriations Committee releases CR language to fund the government until December 11 and delay the OMB proposed rule on Uniform Guidance that governs how every federal grant can be administered, a major win for counties.
Streamlining Federal Grants Act: Improving Federal Grants Access for Counties
Federal grant programs represent significant funding opportunities for counties, but technical jargon and limited staff capacity make them especially hard for small and rural counties to access.