The Mayor and Council continue discussions this month about how to spend $9.6 million in aid Rockville received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
ARPA’s goal is to aid state and local governments in recovering from the budgetary, economic, and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staff will present eligible spending categories and discuss potential ideas during the Mayor and Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15. An additional Mayor and Council discussion of ARPA funds is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 13.
A public hearing on how to allocate the funds was held Oct. 25, after the deadline for this issue of “Rockville Reports.” Find video of the discussion and the hearing at www.rockvillmed.gov/AgendaCenter.
On Oct. 4, the Mayor and Council directed staff to apply nearly $3.9 million of the city’s ARPA funding toward water infrastructure improvements and assisting city water and sewer customers in paying past-due utility bills incurred during the pandemic. Read more about that decision in the article on this page.
Taken in the context of Mayor and Council discussions of the city budget for Fiscal Year 2023, which begins July 1, the ARPA funding is eligible for broad categories of uses. That includes replacing city revenue spent on government services; premium pay for essential workers; public health costs for COVID-19 mitigation efforts; assistance to businesses and households; and infrastructure investment in water, sewer, and broadband.
Specific uses the Mayor and Council may consider, but are not limited to, include rental assistance and affordable housing; human services and caregiver grants; flood mitigation planning and assistance; an audit and transition plan for Americans with Disabilities Act-related improvements; RedGate Park design; the Rockville Town Center road diet; and improvements to the water treatment plant, Lincoln Park Community Center, the King Farm Farmstead, and the Stonestreet Corridor.
The $141.2 million budget for Fiscal Year 2022, which began July 1, keeps the city’s real property tax rate of $0.292 per $100 of assessed valuation the same. All residential and commercial property owners pay this tax.
BUDGET PROCESS calendar
- Monday, Nov. 15: Discussion of the use of ARPA funds.
- Monday, Dec. 13: Discussions of Mayor and Council survey results, priority setting and the use of ARPA funds.
- Additional public hearings and work sessions will be held in 2022. The Mayor and Council are scheduled to adopt the budget in May.
For more information, visit www.rockvillemd.gov/budget or call the Finance Department at 240-314-8400.