Where county governments have been abolished (Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Suffolk and Worcester), the state will receive the federal aid designated for those counties and redistribute it to cities and towns based on each municipality’s percentage of its county population. The MMA worked with the National League of Cities, the Baker-Polito administration and the Massachusetts congressional delegation to ensure that Massachusetts did not get shortchanged because counties are less active here, and a hybrid approach emerged. But in Massachusetts, eight of the 14 county governments have been abolished, and the remaining six are not responsible for local services. The American Rescue Plan Act directs a substantial portion of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to counties because county governments in much of the country provide an array of direct services to residents. One large question, he said, is whether the funds need to be appropriated, by a town meeting or city council, or can be spent like a grant. Sean Cronin, senior deputy commissioner at the Division of Local Services, said additional federal guidance is needed about how the federal aid needs to be accounted for.
“There are very many open questions that the federal government will still need to provide us with some context around, and some definitions.” “I think it’s fair to say that we’re closer to the beginning of this exercise than the end,” he said. The covered period runs from March 3 of this year through Dec. Half of the allocations would come within about 90 days, he said, and the second half would be released not less than 12 months later.
Investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructureįahle called the first use “probably the most flexible opportunity for use of the funds.” He said more guidance and definitions are needed before he could say more about revenue replacement.Revenue replacement (relative to fiscal 2019 local revenue figures).Provision of premium pay to eligible workers (as designated by the local chief municipal official).Response to the public health emergency or its negative economic consequences.“It’s important to remember that those numbers are preliminary,” he said, while adding that he “wouldn’t expect them to change materially.”įahle identified the four eligible use categories for the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund as outlined in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Fahle said the CDBG formula for fiscal 2021 is now available, and “there’s a chance” that 2020 Census data could be used, which might alter final allocation amounts. Census Bureau and the Community Development Block Grant formula for federal fiscal 2020. House Committee on Oversight, which used 2019 data from the U.S. The MMA analysis is based on projection work done by the U.S. Heath Fahle, special director for federal funds at the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, said allocation estimates for each city and town released by the MMA on March 12 are the best information available until the Treasury releases actual allocation amounts, but he concurred with the MMA’s cautionary note that the numbers should be used only for general planning purposes because they may change. Treasury Department likely a couple weeks away, state and local officials, during their regular conference call, explored what is currently known about the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the $350 billion it dedicates to state, county and municipal governments. With preliminary guidance and other details from the U.S. Larry Madoff, medical director at the Department of Public Health. Karyn Polito (middle row, l-r) Sean Cronin, senior deputy commissioner at the Division of Local Services Heath Fahle, special director for federal funds at the Executive Office of Administration and Finance (bottom row) Jana Ferguson, assistant commissioner at the Department of Public Health and Dr. Pictured are (top row, l-r) MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith Lt. State and local leaders convened on Zoom to discuss the American Rescue Plan.