AKRON, Ohio — The city has launched an online dashboard, to track what’s being spent from the $145 million Akron was awarded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
So far, according to the “progress tracker,” $7.88 million has been spent.
“It’s pretty strong and it’s completely transparent,” said City Council Vice President Jeff Fusco.
The federal government’s broad underlying rule for all of the ARPA fund spending is that the money be used to offset the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To that end, eligible uses include:
- Addressing public health needs
- Addressing economic harm from the pandemic or exacerbated by it
- Paying eligible workers “premium pay” for performing essential work during the pandemic
- Providing government services that address lost revenue because of COVID-19
- Investing in and improving existing water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure
The government also stipulates that the money be paid out for costs incurred after March 3, 2021, and must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.
The progress tracker, which the city said will be regularly updated, indicates money spent using a green checkmark and projects in the works using a yellow circle.
A more detailed, interactive dashboard on the page can be enlarged, but is not optimized unless the user is on a desktop computer, according to a recommendation on the page.
The city said the ARPA progress tracker will be regularly updated. (Graphic courtesy of the city of Akron)
One spending category on the progress tracker that doesn’t show up in the interactive dashboard is “budget stabilization,” which lists two items, both displaying yellow circles.
One is “premium pay,” allowed by ARPA for retention bonuses paid to non-appointed city employees for working during the pandemic. The other is lost revenue replacement, which includes spending money to avoid budget cuts to government services.
The tracker currently only shows payments to outside vendors, the city said. It is being modified to include all transactions paid with ARPA funding, which could be completed by the end of the year.
According to the tracker, in addition to administrative costs, the city has spent ARPA money for:
- A Violence Intervention & Prevention Community Grant Program
- The Lock 3 Vision Plan
- Financial Empowerment Centers
- The Akron Cares utility assistance program
- An ARPA housing repair program
- The Akron CDC grant program
- A small business hardship grant program
The city’s administrative costs include fees to Guidehouse, an international consulting firm, which oversees the city’s spending process. Guidehouse is paid to keep the city in compliance with federal restrictions on how ARPA money can be spent, including tracking and reporting.
Money also went to the law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP for ARPA-related legal support and MarketMe 24/7 for the online dashboard.
ARPA money must be used to offset the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Graphic courtesy of the city of Akron)
