QUESTIONS ANSWERED American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Survey of Cities in Iowa The Iowa League of Cities conducted a survey in December 2021 to gather information on how cities are using or plan to use local government funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The League received a great response rate on this survey, having heard from 493 city officials and staff members. Highlights from the survey results are summarized below. ARPA was signed into federal law in March 2021, and provides for $65.1 billion of direct aid to every city, town or village across the country. The League and the National League of Cities’ year-long “Cities are Essential” campaign advocated for local government funding and relief. Of note, this survey was completed just prior to the U.S. Treasury Department releasing its Final Rules. These Final Rules may impact how cities decide to spend their ARPA allocation. A recording of one of the webinars hosted by the U.S. Treasury Department is also available on the League’s Resources page. Read about the final rule and reporting requirements on page 12. For more information and resources on ARPA visit the League’s Resource page at www.iowaleague.org/resource/ american-rescue-plan-Q How will cities spend ARPA funds? The top two categories selected were sewer and water infrastructure, followed by undecided and other. Q How certain are you at this point in time on how your city will spend its APRA funds? 10 | February 2022 | Cityscape
Cityscape February 2022: Page 10
