About the American Rescue Plan Act
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF). The CSLFRF provides a substantial infusion of resources to state and local governments to help turn the tide of the pandemic, address economic fallout, and lay the foundation for a strong and equitable recovery.
While the CSLFRF provides substantial flexibility for each government to meet local needs, the U.S. Treasury has identified the following goals of the available funding:
- Support urgent novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response efforts to continue to decrease the spread of the virus and bring the pandemic under control
- Support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses
- Address systemic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the inequal impact of the pandemic
- Replace lost revenue for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to strengthen support for vital public services and retain jobs
Further, the CSLFRF is designed to provide support for households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis. These funds can also be used to make necessary investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
Prince William County Plan
Through the passage of ARPA, Prince William County has been allocated approximately $91 million in two equal allotments. These funds must be obligated before December 31, 2024, and projects completed, and funds expended, by December 31, 2026. Prince William County continues to refine the plan for distribution, with a focus on providing a lifeline beyond the impacts of COVID-19 to businesses and individuals/households most in need; prioritizing basic needs and addressing disparities that were made worse by COVID-19; continuing support for emergency response operations; and ensuring residents are able to obtain the services needed.
These priorities are demonstrated by Prince William County goals to provide support to:
- Recognize the County’s “essential workers” who face/faced a heightened risk due to the nature of their work
- Continue the County’s emergency response efforts, such as COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts, as needed, to respond to the pandemic and the evolving COVID-19 variants
- Provide economic relief to those most in need (residents and businesses)
- Small businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency, to include those within the tourism and hospitality industries and non-profit organizations
- Programs committed to preventing and ending homelessness by connecting individuals with the most appropriate resource for their circumstances
- Community partners/not-for-profit organizations who support feeding and emergency mortgage and utility assistance, for example
- Invest in eligible community priorities consistent with the Board adopted Strategic Plan and other Directives to create lasting and transformative impacts for the residents and businesses of Prince William County
Prince William County is committed to transparency and accountability while utilizing the CSLFRF funding to address our community’s immediate needs and invest in our long-term resilience. Board approved initiatives to date include:
- $15,583,750 allocated for economic recovery initiatives to provide grants and other assistance to impacted small businesses and hospitality and tourism industries as well as job training programs to help get County residents back to work
- $10,100,000 allocated to the Human Services Alliance of Prince William County to provide grants to community partners and not-for-profit entities providing needed services to the community
- $5,270,400 allocated for the County’s Emergency Response Program and related Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
- $3,377,465 allocated to provide premium pay to the County’s essential workers who have and bear the greatest health risks because of their service
- $6,400,070 allocated for ARPA grant administration, including compliance, subrecipient monitoring, audit and reporting efforts
- $2,790,000 allocated to support community feeding initiatives and the work of the County’s Feeding Task Force
- $4,478,530 allocated for the newly proposed Crisis Receiving Center
- $8,600,000 allocated for capital renovations to the EOC
- $10,000,000 allocated for revenue replacement to fund government services
- $1,300,000 allocated for capital costs associated with the Animal Services Center
- $$8,700,00 allocated for Park projects
- $8,890,000 allocated for eligible sustainable Park projects
- $1,500,000 allocated for the Capital Area Food Bank
- $2,843,000 allocated broadband/infrastructure capital costs
- $500,000 allocated for CASA
- $1,238,865 allocated for video and broadcast production system, facilities and supporting infrastructure
- $6,629,730 allocated to upgrade the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and controls at the Judicial Center
- $2,000,000 allocated for PWC 311 Digital Services
- $726,250 allocated to indoor sports complex project
- $279,00 allocated for Library Bookmobile
- $126,224 allocated for holiday light show at Neabsco Boardwalk
- $11,100 allocated to Movies-in-the-Park Program Events
- $10,000 allocated for Brentsville Day Event
- $2,676 allocated to Rec on Wheels Program Events
This website will be updated regularly with project information and reporting regarding the use of the ARPA funding.
County’s Guiding Principles
- Recognize the County’s “essential workers” who face/faced a heightened risk due to the nature of their work
- Continue the County’s emergency response efforts, as needed, to respond to the pandemic and the evolving COVID-19 variants
- Provide economic relief to those most in need (residents and businesses)
- Invest in eligible community priorities consistent with the Board adopted Strategic Plan and other Directives to create lasting and transformative impacts for the residents and businesses of Prince William County
- Replace the County’s revenue loss during the pandemic
- Explore and leverage other federal and state funding before committing the County’s ARPA funds
- Expenditures related to ARPA shall be spread over the qualifying period (through December 31, 2024) to ensure financial stability
Reports
ARPA Presentations and Board Actions
- September 14, 2021 BOCS Work Session
- June 15, 2021 BOCS Meeting
- June 7, 2022 BOCS Meeting
- December 13, 2022 BOCS Meeting (pages #59-#66)
- February 7, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- March 7, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- April 11, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- June 6, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- July 11, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- September 12, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- September 26, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- November 28, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- November 28, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- November 28, 2023 BOCS Meeting
- February 20, 2024 BOCS Meeting
- July 2, 2024 BOCS Meeting
Other Pertinent Links
Public Submissions
Thank you to the residents and businesses in the community that submitted ARPA funding ideas in response to the County’s request for input. The Board of County Supervisors has successfully allocated its ARPA funding as itemized above.