The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was enacted, in part, to provide state and local governments financial relief as they respond to the COVID-19 public health crisis. Through this federal act, Montgomery County and the City of Montgomery were granted a substantial amount of funding to help spur local recovery efforts.

Montgomery Thrive is a collaborative effort between the Montgomery County Commission and the City of Montgomery to efficiently address the needs of the community by maximizing all available resources to recover from the pandemic. As part of this effort, the County and City encourage input from local residents about how to utilize these funds to help the community thrive. In an effort to garner the most feedback from Montgomery citizens, the County and the City partnered to create Thrive Montgomery. Thrive Montgomery offers residents the chance to tell Montgomery leaders how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them and what initiatives they want their community to invest in.

Montgomery Thrive is dedicated to serving our community and considering all appropriate funding options. For information on federal guidelines, please refer to the Resources tab. The American Rescue Plan Act funds are a tool for strengthening our community in the face of an unprecedented national health emergency. Together, Montgomery can thrive.

USE OF FUNDS

Through the ARPA, the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) were allocated to provide eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments with a substantial infusion of resources to meet pandemic response needs and rebuild a stronger, and more equitable economy as the country recovers.

Recipients may use these funds to:

• Support public health expenditures;
• Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency;
• Replace lost public sector revenue; and
• Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.

Within these overall categories, recipients have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs of their communities; however, they must do so in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

Public education and engagement is a critical component of administering these funds in a way that will have the greatest impact on the community. Montgomery County residents are encouraged to share their feedback by completing the Community Survey.