https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

News


Pixabay

News

When spending federal stimulus dollars, local governments are considering long-term, community impact

When spending federal stimulus dollars, local governments are considering long-term, community impact

  • Written by Andrew Castillo
  • 12th August 2022

From staffing constraints to budget shortfalls and an unprecedented pivot into the digital realm (driven by the pandemic), local governments have confronted myriad challenges over the last few years. But in this, there’s a bright spot: The federal government is investing an unprecedented amount of money into local governments.

“The covid pandemic shuffled the deck for everybody—there’s been a terrible financial impact, without stimulus,” said Darryl Booth, managing director of govtech at Accela’s Center of Expertise. Accela provides software in the cloud for cities, counties and other forms of local governments.

But while the federal investment has been welcomed by local leaders, “It’s not a forever story, it’s something that’s here and now,” Booth said.

To that end, grants distributed to local governments through the American Rescue Plan Act will be given in a few tranches over two years. And anything that’s not used by local governments will eventually be redirected for other purposes. Thus, the onus is on local administrators to ensure their communities get what’s been given to them.

“Communities that aren’t taking advantage of these funds, that’s absolutely the worst case scenario,” Booth said. “There’s risk that congress will claw back these funds if they are not spent—after all, this is a stimulus package—if the money is not being spent by the cities, counties and states intended to use these funds.”

In talking to city and county administrators, Booth said he’s heard everything: from those who’ve already taken advantage of the opportunity, to ”Folks who are folding their arms across their chest saying, ‘I’m not spending that money, I don’t want to be beholden to the federal government,’” he said.

And along with those communities that aren’t interested in even applying, there are others who might feel they don’t have the necessary staff or technical expertise to apply: “There is a pathway to accessing the funds—they don’t just show up. It’s not a heavy lift,” Booth continued. “Make use of the funds. Spend them down the very last penny, and it’s not something you can take very long to do.”

More than taking advantage of the money that’s been set aside for communities, leveraging it in a fiscally responsible way is another hurdle organizations must navigate. In this, Booth said it’s important for administrators to consider the long view—where their community is going to be in 10 or 20 years—and the domino effect investments could have.

“It’s really an intensely local decision: the needs are vast, and very human centered. I don’t think anyone should sit and pass judgment on how the money is spent,” he said.

Because the money is being distributed in a few lump sums, considering the longevity of investments is also important. Investing in a new software program to streamline permitting and licensing, for example, could save a community a lot in the long run.

Directing allotments toward “The upfront costs of standing up a system—whatever it is,” Booth said, could pay dividends for decades to come. “Congress has on-purpose released this money in two tranches. Through that multi-year approach, they’re looking to local leaders to do something more.”

Tags: homepage-featured-1 homepage-featured-2 homepage-featured-4 Administration Public Works & Utilities Administration Public Works & Utilities News

Most Recent


  • ARPA funds
    Spending American Rescue Plan Act funds: A primer for municipalities
    The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 is a $1.9 trillion legislative package that includes funding for states, local governments and tribal nations to respond to the economic and public health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While initially restricted, subsequent guidance from the federal government has expanded what those funds can be used for. […]
  • landslides
    Managing landslides along road corridors using remote sensing
    Maintaining roads is an optimization problem. Local officials must balance limited and sometimes shrinking budgets with the needs of their communities to have safe and reliable transportation systems. Unfortunately, the importance of a particular maintenance issue is often judged based on anecdotal information and complaints from the public rather than hard data. This approach is […]
  • recruit
    With a few strategies and tools, public procurement directors can recruit new, diverse staffers
    Yes, being a public purchasing professional is a much-coveted career that can have a big impact on a community, says Celeste Frye, principal and CEO of Public Works Partners, a WBE/DBE/SBE-certified urban planning and consulting firm. “From purchasing quality foods for school lunches or environmentally sustainable trucks for trash collection, procurement managers have a significant […]
  • Report: Technology is evolving quickly, and the water and sewer sector needs to adapt
    In an era marked by digitization and a changing environment, water and sewer organizations are facing a difficult future. To assist administrators as they plan for what’s next, the American Water Works Association published a report Thursday highlighting a need to accelerate innovation, transform services through next-generation technology, leverage tech as an equalizer, and “achieve a […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Here are 12 of America's most walkable cities with vacancies for renters
  • Reno, NV
    In Nevada county, data underpins efforts to address climate change
  • $52B semiconductor investment intended to rejuvenate American manufacturing
  • How capital improvement project prioritization helps secure infrastructure funding

White papers


Modernizing government services for today’s resident expectations

24th January 2023

Preparing Your Community Now for the Next Generation of Older Adults

18th October 2022

Helping Government Fleets Achieve Their Goals

30th September 2022
view all

Webinars


How To: Evaluate Digital Government Service Delivery Technologies

23rd January 2023

Using Technology to Enhance Communications

29th November 2022

Learn the benefits of transforming and automating your Contract Management process

4th November 2022
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Report: While remote work is causing offices to empty out, walkable cities are still in high demand

26th January 2023

10 American cities with a great downtown

24th January 2023

Miami leads the way in FT-Nikkei ranking of best U.S. cities for foreign companies

20th January 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient dlvr.it/ShYNcx

27th January 2023
AmerCityCounty

Shifting city demographics present an opportunity to build coalitions, address inequality dlvr.it/ShYMMm

27th January 2023
AmerCityCounty

Spending American Rescue Plan Act funds: A primer for municipalities dlvr.it/ShXzvl

27th January 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: While remote work is causing offices to empty out, walkable cities are still in high demand dlvr.it/ShVhBW

26th January 2023
AmerCityCounty

Managing landslides along road corridors using remote sensing dlvr.it/ShTpL6

26th January 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: Prioritizing neighborhood infill, expanding transit options increases neighborhood resilience dlvr.it/ShRrFM

25th January 2023
AmerCityCounty

10 American cities with a great downtown dlvr.it/ShNxXH

24th January 2023
AmerCityCounty

With a few strategies and tools, public procurement directors can recruit new, diverse staffers dlvr.it/ShNnj4

24th January 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.