Willing to face the music
Every decision local officials make about the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds will be open to public scrutiny, but most do not consider that to be a major factor in their choice to use the money, according to a survey released April 16 by Rockville, Md.-based CivicUS. Officials from various areas of local government were asked if the prospect of being judged on the effectiveness of their decisions to create jobs and stimulate the economy would be a factor in pursuing ARRA funds. Approximately 23 percent said that would be “very much a factor,” 35 percent said it would be “a factor,” while the remainder said the prospect of judgment was “somewhat of a factor” or “not a factor.” The survey is available at www.civicus.com.
