On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law. The $1.9 trillion relief bill includes $65.1 billion in direct aid for every County in America.

This funding will strengthen our communities by maintaining County services, investing in small businesses, nonprofits, vaccine distribution, public health and safety, human services, and much needed infrastructure including access to broadband.

Spending Focus

Primary ways that ARPA funds can be spent include:

1. Support public health response
   • Fund COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff.
2. Address negative economic impacts
   • Respond to economic harms to workers families, small businesses, nonprofits, and impacted industries.
   • Re-hiring of public sector workers.
3. Replace public sector revenue loss
   • Use funds to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic.
4. Premium pay for essential workers
   • Offer additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure.
   • Funds can be used retroactively back to January 27, 2020.
5. Water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure
   • Make necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water.
   • Invest in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
   • Provide unserved or underserved locations with new or expanded broadband access.
6. Ideas for transformative and lasting initiatives

Using these funds this way will allow the County to:

• Maintain quality services
• Mitigate the continuing effects of COVID-19
• Create transformative and lasting initiatives to launch Cuyahoga County towards a more vibrant and prosperous region where everyone thrives.