There are 47 article(s) tagged American Rescue Plan Act:

• September 2021

  • Ford out as County Commission budget committee chairman

    After two contentious budget seasons, commission chairman Willie Brooks has changed up what is the most critical committee assignment in county government. 

    By Bill Dries September 27, 2021

  • Federal funds trigger new type of budget season for city and county

    The Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission are already getting requests from groups that want a share of the money.

    By Bill Dries September 25, 2021

  • Pipeline ordinances come to council crossroads

    Also on the Tuesday, Sept. 21, Memphis City Council agenda is more discussion of how to spend the council’s $20 million share of the city’s federal ARPA funds and a minimum wage for getting EDGE tax incentives.

    By Bill Dries September 21, 2021

  • Council approves $20 million in ARPA funding for council initiatives

    The City Council has approved $20 million in American Rescue Protection Act funding for council-led community initiatives like fighting homelessness, providing relief to artists, and funding the Boys and Girls Clubs. 

    By Julia Baker September 16, 2021

  • County Commission Scorecard: Missing votes, fixing ethics and a bonus vote

    The Commission Scorecard recaps critical votes at the Aug. 23 meeting and an overtime vote at a special Aug. 30 session. The special meeting may have been the last word on bonuses for county employees. But it is far from the last word on the underlying issue that drew out the final vote across two meetings in one week.

    By Bill Dries September 10, 2021

  • Memphis’ $161M ARPA budget gets a City Council rewrite

    Council members put ARPA spending plans on hold to talk about a compromise that could increase the council’s share of ARPA funding from $13 million to around $20 million. 

    By Bill Dries September 07, 2021

  • Consolidation time frame grows short as council has second discussion

    The Tuesday, Sept. 7, committee discussion is the second for the Memphis City Council. 

    By Bill Dries September 07, 2021

• August 2021

  • Regional One starts getting ARPA dollars to reopen 21 needed beds

    The CEO of the region’s trauma center and safety net hospital said national competition among hospitals for the skilled specialists needed to put 21 beds back in use at Regional One is intense and costly. 

    By Bill Dries August 18, 2021

  • Strickland outlines plan for spending federal ARPA money

    The outline includes major funding for an expansion of broadband to parts of the city where connections were a problem as schools went to virtual learning last year.

    By Bill Dries August 03, 2021

• July 2021

  • City Council gets more details on federal ARPA funding

    The council also takes up the vote delayed two weeks ago on the sale of the old Union Avenue police station in Midtown, a car lot in Raleigh and takes the first of three votes on restrictions of future oil pipelines within the city.

    By Bill Dries July 20, 2021

• June 2021

  • Gov. won’t commit to funding more Highway Patrol in Memphis — yet

    During a Friday, June 25, visit to the city, the Tennessee governor also defended the state’s open gun carry law that takes effect July 1. Local leaders are worried the permitless gun carry provision could contribute to a summer surge in violent crime.

    By Bill Dries June 25, 2021

  • Memphis to use federal funds to address violent crime

    Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland also called on the state of Tennessee to use its federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to put more highway patrol officers on the city’s interstates permanently as well as cameras to combat shootings.

    By Bill Dries June 24, 2021

  • State comptroller offers guidance on COVID relief funds

    Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower visited Collierville on Tuesday. During his visit, he provided guidance on American Rescue Plan funds to local government and school leaders.

    By Abigail Warren June 22, 2021

  • The case for property tax hikes in the suburbs

    Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner and Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald talked on “Behind The Headlines” about property tax hikes passed and up for a final vote, respectively, in the cities they lead and why the estimated share of federal ARPA funds in each of their cities took a tumble in the latest estimates.

    By Bill Dries June 19, 2021

  • Collierville, Bartlett receive smaller amounts via American Rescue Plan

    The suburbs expected more than double the amount they are receiving in federal American Rescue Plan money. Meanwhile, smaller municipalities are receiving more than them.

    By Abigail Warren June 17, 2021

  • City Council keeps current property tax rate in budget

    A move for a 31-cent tax hike never got to a vote, with a council majority voting down a rule suspension to consider going up on the tax rate. That and other votes Tuesday, June 15, closed out the city’s budget season.

    By Bill Dries June 15, 2021

  • Germantown earmarks federal funds for infrastructure

    Germantown is expecting about $10.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds. The money will be invested in infrastructure, with the majority going towards drainage.

    By Abigail Warren June 14, 2021

  • City budget vision still blurry as first federal funds arrive

    The council approved Tuesday, June 1, accepting $80.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding -- the first of two payments to come from Washington for pandemic relief. But there are still questions and uncertainties about how the money can be used.

    By Bill Dries June 02, 2021

• May 2021

  • The city budget’s new red ink and where it’s coming from

    City Chief Financial Officer Shirley Ford told council members the budget for the new fiscal year that begins July 1 is in the red by approximately $23 million. The culprit is new ground rules for the use of federal funds to make up for revenues lost in the pandemic and how the lost revenues are counted. 

    By Bill Dries May 25, 2021

  • Opinion: Relief funds for restaurants hit by COVID are simple to get

    Every eligible restaurant should seize the opportunity of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund while it lasts. The only downsides are having to fill out an application and track the used funds.

    By Mary Lauren Bobango Stewart May 20, 2021

  • Coca-Cola bottling plant could become part of Liberty Park plans

    The council will hear, in committees, about the idea of “potential acquisition and adaptive reuse” of a bottling company plant at Southern and Hollywood. On the council agenda is a vote urging Gov. Bill Lee to veto a bill that bans teaching critical race theory.

    By Bill Dries May 17, 2021

• March 2021

  • How Cohen and Kustoff voted on the American Rescue Plan Act

    The city’s two representatives in the U.S. House were on different sides in the Wednesday, March 10, vote to approve the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief act known as the American Rescue Plan Act.

    By Bill Dries March 10, 2021