On May 14, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) highlighted the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds that the U.S. Department of Treasury is releasing to Washington as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. These funds will provide vital resources for Washington families and communities.
“Our state, local, and tribal governments have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic response. That’s why the American Rescue Plan provides dedicated relief to ensure our local communities have the resources necessary as we work to get folks vaccinated, end the COVID-19 pandemic, and kickstart our economy,” said Rep. Kilmer. “Importantly, this funding is also vitally important to prevent public sector job losses – providing crucial resources to protect the jobs of first responders, frontline public health workers, teachers, transit workers, and other essential workers that folks in our neck of the woods count on.”
“The American Rescue Plan Act is a lifeline for Pierce County residents, businesses, and organizations who are struggling,” said Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young. “Already the Council was able to make immediate investments in food and housing security, revenue relief for businesses, and public health response to the pandemic. We’re also laying the groundwork for our recovery by funding business assistance and workforce development with a focus on underserved communities. Knowing how hard the pandemic has been on children and families, we’re developing summer programs for young people throughout Pierce County. In the coming weeks, we plan to make investments in infrastructure like high-speed broadband that will create jobs now and more opportunities in the future.”
“Jefferson County plans to use our $6.3 million in ARP funds for “game-changer” projects. While we haven’t selected specific projects yet, we are excited to have unencumbered funds to spend on critical needs such as broadband, childcare and housing. These are issues that we seldom have money to support, but affect our resident’s lives every day,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Kate Dean. “We also plan to use these dollars to support our hospital and public health department so that we can get as many people vaccinated and back to work as we can.”
“The American Rescue Plan provides the necessary funding support that the City of Tacoma needs to continue providing essential services to our community,” said Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards. “The City quickly and effectively deployed funding from the CARES Act to lift up households and businesses that were hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are looking forward to taking additional actions to help the underserved with our American Rescue Plan funds. Whether it’s helping individuals experiencing homelessness or other emergent needs, the City’s spending of ARP funds will be guided by our principles of equity and anti-racism.”
“Port Angeles is extremely appreciative of the diligence that Representative Kilmer has demonstrated in recognizing how challenging the pandemic has been for our community. Even prior to the pandemic we were facing a housing crisis with local income levels that are not commensurate with every day family expenses. The American Rescue Plan will once again enable the City to ensure our local residents, rate payers and businesses receive the direct relief they need during this very difficult time,” said Port Angeles Mayor Kate Dexter.
The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide substantial flexibility for each jurisdiction to meet local needs—including support for households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest-hit by the crisis. Within the categories of eligible uses listed, recipients have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs of their communities.
In addition to allowing for flexible spending up to the level of their revenue loss, recipients can use funds to:
- Support public health expenditures, by – among other uses – funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, mental health and substance misuse treatment and certain public health and safety personnel responding to the crisis;
- Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including by rehiring public sector workers, providing aid to households facing food, housing or other financial insecurity, offering small business assistance, and extending support for industries hardest hit by the crisis;
- Aid the communities and populations hardest hit by the crisis, supporting an equitable recovery by addressing not only the immediate harms of the pandemic, but its exacerbation of longstanding public health, economic and educational disparities
- Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have borne and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service during the pandemic; and,
- Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, improving access to clean drinking water, supporting vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and expanding access to broadband internet.
Funds to Washington state communities include:
- Washington state: $4,427,709,355.90
Counties in WA-06:
- Clallam County: $15,020,640.00
- Grays Harbor County: $14,579,719.00
- Jefferson County: $6,258,552.00
- Kitsap County: $52,730,448.00
- Mason County: $12,968,901.00
- Pierce County: $175,781,756.00
- Metropolitan Cities in WA-06:
- Tacoma: $60,969,952.00
Additionally, Washington state has been provided $442,823,871.00 for direct relief to non-entitlement communities like Bremerton, Port Angeles, and Aberdeen. The U.S. Department of Treasury expects to provide further guidance on distributions to non-entitlement units in the coming days.
Click here to read more from the Department of Treasury.
