After months of delays and negotiations between the City’s Legislative and Executive branches, Flint City Council approved a plan for the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds at its Oct. 24 meeting.
An ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) allocation plan was presented the previous week by the council’s ad hoc ARPA committee. Proposed changes to Mayor Sheldon Neeley’s ARPA plan were introduced at that meeting.
Flint received $94.7 million in ARPA funding to address the COVID-19 public health emergency. Flint has spent or earmarked some $34M as of Oct. 24, leaving $60M in remaining funding for council to vote on.
The plan council approved allocates $13,735,000 for neighborhood improvement, $8,275,000 for economic development, $3,720,000 for public safety, $5,250,000 for public health, $400,000 for infrastructure, $21,122,618 for revenue replacement, $5,000,000 for contingency and $2,849,350 for administration. A little over $18 million of that collective funding will come in the form of community grants for which local organizations will be able to apply.
After lengthy debate in Committee prior to the vote, the budget passed 6-0 with three abstentions.
“Is this a perfect plan? No. Is there a perfect plan out there? Probably not,” said Council President Dennis Pfeiffer. “You’re always going to have differing opinions. I do support this as a base starting point that we can change over time.”
