Maricopa County releases spending breakdown of funds from American Rescue Plan

PHOENIX — Maricopa County is providing a resource for people who want to know how the county is spending the $435 million in federal funding provided as part of the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress earlier this year.

A COVID-19 rescue funds dashboard was recently launched by the county that provides a spending breakdown for each key rescue effort, such as public health response to the virus, individual and family support as well as aid for businesses.

“This new COVID-19 funding dashboard will provide the transparency to Maricopa County residents that they deserve about how their federal dollars are being spent to help their community recover,” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers said in a press release Tuesday.

“It is a way to keep our government efficient and accountable. Our goal is to distribute these funds in an equitable way across our community, with a focus on areas disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.”

The dashboard shows $410 million of the total federal funding granted has been allocated, with just under $6.5 million of it having been spent.

More than a quarter, $136 million, has been allocated to COVID-19 public health response, which includes money for new health clinics and vaccine availability.

The rest of the allocation for the federal funds are below:

• $75.5 million for individuals and family programs, including for seniors and persons with disabilities and behavioral health and addiction recovery.
• $60 million to support local businesses struggling due to the pandemic.
• $40 million to secure affordable housing.
• $25 million to support workforce efforts across the county.
• $20 million to help residents with rent and mortgage assistance.

Fund allocation and spending will be updated on the dashboard at the end of each month, according to the website.

The county provided a similar dashboard for the $399 million of federal funds disbursed from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

More than half of the money ($209.8 million) went to essential health and emergency response that provided COVID-19 testing and vaccines to millions of people, according to an executive summary letter from Sellers.

Other funding from the act was spent on financial assistance to more than 3,300 small businesses, rent and utility aid to more than 6,000 households and grants for dozens of nonprofits and food banks.

As schools were forced to transition to remote learning due to the pandemic, the funding also provided more than 57,000 hot spots and devices to schools, Sellers said.

“I believe these efforts are one reason why Arizona’s economy is in a stronger position than most a year and a half into the pandemic,” Sellers said.

“Now, the county is putting new federal dollars to work through the American Rescue Plan Act.”

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