Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, 509.625.6226
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 10:38 a.m.
On Monday, June 7th, Spokane City Council passed a resolution establishing the framework, guiding principles, and timeline for the deployment of funds received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The City of Spokane will receive over $80 million in recovery funds in addition to more than $190 million dollars for other local jurisdictions across Spokane County. City Council will accept and consider initial proposals and ideas on how best to spend these funds and then turn their recommendations over to a working group to fine tune them.
“Together the City Council, the Mayor, and our joint staff have worked hard over the last 14-months to protect our City and return to a sense of normalcy even stronger than what was before the pandemic,” says City Council President Breean Beggs. “Ending the state of emergency is a huge step forward and I am pleased that we are now focused on how to best spend the American Recovery Plan funds for the greater good of our entire community."
“Partnership and collaboration has kept our focus on meeting community needs as we managed through the pandemic,” says Mayor Nadine Woodward. “Our community has sacrificed a lot in the name of public health and the smart distribution of these funds will serve as a catalyst for regaining our economic health and well-being.”
The framework establishes that the federal recovery funds will be allocated with four main purposes:
Purpose 1: Replenish lost City government revenues due to the pandemic to drive catalytic investments and to restore COVID-curtailed services that will move the city forward and increase our resiliency;
Purpose 2: Reach out to community partner organizations to fund initiatives that will remedy the damage caused by the pandemic with investments that will support future growth and opportunities;
Purpose 3: Resiliency for Spokane – as we bounce back, we must make significant investments in forward-thinking initiatives that will create long-term, sustainable growth, and stability for the City of Spokane and all its community members; and
Purpose 4: Relief for residents and businesses that have been left behind by other relief programs.
The City of Spokane has established a Recovery Plan Work Group that will develop implementation proposals and identify partnerships with City Departments, other government entities, and nonprofit organizations for the effective delivery of funds to the community in alignment with the requirements of the American Rescue Plan. The initial Recovery Plan Work Group will consist of Mayor Woodward (or her designee), Council President Beggs, Council Members Stratton and Wilkerson, and Chief Financial Officer Tonya Wallace as voting members, and City Administrator Johnnie Perkins and City Council Policy Director Brian McClatchey as ex-officio advisors.
Council President provides more insight and ways Council looks to work with the community regarding economic recovery in the latest Council Connection.
