POUGHKEEPSIE – Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison has announced the launch of a website that allows the public to track the use of the city’s use of $20 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that are coming to Poughkeepsie. It also gives the public a chance to provide feedback on the use of the funds.
The website was created to provide another layer of transparency regarding the city’s finances, according to Rolison. Capital Markets Advisors, LLC, and Local Government Solutions, LLC assisted in developing the tracking portal.
The “City of Poughkeepsie American Rescue Plan Act Portal” explains the local decision-making methods that include input from a task force, and it details the various reporting and compliance responsibilities placed on the city by the federal government.
The city has been awarded a total of $20.4 million from the ARPA, half of which arrived in 2021 and the remainder will arrive in 2022.
The ARPA was authorized by Congress to offset some of the losses incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds can be used in certain designated categories, such as additional pay for workers during the pandemic, public safety, enhancements to city services, community programs, certain infrastructure projects, and for lost revenue attributable to the pandemic.
The city’s website details the ways it anticipates using the funds, including making improvements to city parks and pools, supporting housing services and community programs, putting resources into the IT system, and replacing revenue that was lost as a result of the pandemic.
The website features links to see exactly where the funds are allocated in the 2022 budget.
