Locals want their share
Nearly seven months after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), some local government officials are expressing concern about how slowly the funds are moving to local agencies. In other instances, high numbers of applications for limited funds may be leaving some cities and counties waiting for the money in the lurch.
The Washington-based National Association of Counties (NACo) has received some complaints from members about the ways states are distributing ARRA funds, says NACo Deputy Director for County Services Stephanie Osborn. “I have heard that there are instances, particularly in the transportation area, where, despite Congress’ intent that the states will be recognizing and meeting locally driven priorities, the states are clearly working to meet their own priorities first, and either are slow in getting the money down to a local level, or will not be doing so at all,” Osborn says. NACo has asked the Government Accountability Office and the White House to look into those complaints, she says.
Meanwhile, Ridgeway, N.Y., officials are looking for alternative funding sources after their application to the state’s Office of Community Renewal for an ARRA grant to fund a water line for the city was denied, says Supervisor Brian Napoli. “We were told there was no money and a lot of applications,” Napoli says.
David Neustadt, spokesperson for New York’s Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet, says the state is doing what it can with the ARRA money it received. In August, it announced $87 million in funding for 14 local drinking water infrastructure projects around the state. The state was required to select ARRA projects from the Intended Use Plan (IUP) prepared annually by state agencies that manage New York’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, Neustadt says. “I understand the frustration of people who applied and didn’t get [funding], but there’s a limited amount,” he says.
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MEET THE DEADLINE
On Oct. 10, all ARRA fund recipients are required to report on the use of the money. The reporting results will be made available at www.recovery.gov.