IDAHO — Idaho cities with populations below 50,000 will start getting their share of $54 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature unanimously accepted the federal funds, which will be used by local government to respond to COVID-19 or invest in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure.
“From the start, I emphasized the need to direct the billions of dollars allocated for Idaho from the American Rescue Plan Act into long-range investments that will benefit our children and grandchildren. The funds going to cities starting today add to the significant investments we’ve already made in infrastructure to support the next generation of Idahoans,” Governor Little said. “I urge cities to leverage these dollars for investments that will reduce the property tax burden that Idahoans will face in the future.”
This round of federal funds is just the start of money that will be distributed to Idaho cities as another $54 million will go out in 2022. The State Controller's Office has created an easy-to-use portal for all Non-Entitlement Units of Local Government (NEU) to get the Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, at the request of the legislature and Little.
A NEU is any city in the state with a population of less than 50,000 that is not otherwise receiving direct funding from the U.S. Treasury. Unlike relief funding used in CARES Act grants, the state is not the primary recipient of this funding and will not be reviewing expenses for eligibility, according to a news release.
The state will act as a pass-through entity for distribution purposes only. The State Controller's Office will work with NEUs to provide distribution.
If an entity is interested in receiving funding and has not previously registered to get CARES Act funding, it will be required to register to receive ARPA funds. That can be done through the ARPA portal on the Transparent Idaho website.
Once an entity has registered to receive funding, it will be required to complete a request for funding. If an entity has any issues registering or requesting funding they are encouraged to call the Idaho State Controller’s Office at 208-334-3100 for assistance over the phone.
