Massachusetts Communities Will Get $473 Million In COVID Recovery Funds

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BOSTON (State House News Service) — Most Massachusetts municipalities are expected to receive their latest batch of American Rescue Plan Act money later this week when the state redistributes approximately $473 million that had been billed for the state's nine "inactive" counties.

The Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services told local government officials last week to expect to see their community's pro rata share of the second tranche of the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund money "on or about September 23."

Expected amounts vary, according to a DLS chart -- Billerica can look forward to about $4.2 million, Grafton has more than $1.8 million coming its way, Sterling is due just shy of $800,000, and Westfield can expect just more than $4 million.

The American Rescue Plan Act provided $1.3 billion in direct aid to Massachusetts' 14 counties, with $946 million earmarked for nine counties that the U.S. Treasury calls "not units of general local government." So instead, the 254 municipalities of Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Suffolk and Worcester counties share that money. The first half of the pot was distributed to the same communities a year ago.

Cities and towns have to comply with U.S. Treasury reporting requirements as they receive and continue to spend their ARPA money. Generally speaking, ARPA funding must be committed by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

Written by Colin A. Young/SHNS

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