Montgomery Thrive is a unique collaboration between the county and city of Montgomery. Working together, the county and city will decide how to spend the relief funds allocated to Montgomery by the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Collaborating allows the county and city to combine their resources and leverage other funding sources to make the biggest impact for our communities. The objective of Montgomery Thrive is to deploy federal relief funds in the most impactful, thoughtful way possible. Together, Montgomery will move forward and thrive.

All residents of the county and city of Montgomery are invited to complete the community survey about how best to spend funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act. The survey is accessible at this link.

Montgomery Thrive also invites businesses, healthcare providers, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations in Montgomery County to share how the COVID-19 pandemic specifically affected their work. Please visit this page and complete the appropriate form.

In the coming weeks, the surveys will be available for completion at City Hall and the County Commission offices. Montgomery Thrive representatives also plan to attend a number of upcoming community meetings to ensure citizens across the county have ample opportunity to provide feedback on the program.

Yes. Please send any questions you may have to us at questions@montgomerythrive.org.

The online survey will be open until the majority of funds have been allocated. This deadline may be extended at the discretion of the Montgomery Thrive Committee.

Please complete this form if you have a project idea for the Montgomery Thrive program. Upon receipt, someone from the Montgomery Thrive team will provide you with additional information about how to submit your ideas.

Decisions on how to best utilize the American Rescue Plan Act funds will be made based on extensive community research, the most pressing needs in each city council and county commission district, and community feedback received by Montgomery Thrive. All decisions will be made to ensure compliance within the parameters provided in the U.S. Treasury guidelines. While all ideas are welcome, submitters should keep in mind that these funds come with many stipulations and requirements that limit the way in which these funds can be spent. Additionally, the federal guidelines require extensive reporting and compliance measures for each dollar spent. All Montgomery residents are encouraged to review the Final Rule , or the more reader-friendly  Final Rule Overview.

All funding must be obligated by December 31, 2024, which means the money must be earmarked for projects, programs and/or initiatives by or before that date. All funding must be spent by December 31, 2026. Any unspent funds remaining with the City or County after December 31, 2026 must be returned to the federal government

Montgomery Thrive is a multi-year project. As recipients of the funds, the City and County are required to account for each dollar spent and ensure the funds are expended responsibly. This requires mapping out, building, and supporting well-researched, thoroughly documented, and transparent programs and projects. This takes time!

Because the American Rescue Plan Act is a one-time injection of funds, it is important that most of the allocated funds from the Act are also one-time injections. This will maximize the impact of the investments and ensure the programs are able to self-sustain after all federal funds have been exhausted.

When an idea or program is approved for funding, there are several ways to implement the program. This could mean that a new City or County program is created and implemented directly, or it could mean that the City and County partner with an existing organization that is best suited to successfully execute the program. These decisions will be made on a project-by-project basis.

No. Montgomery Thrive expects to receive many excellent ideas, and duplicate submissions will slow down the review process. If a project idea includes multiple partners, submitters are encouraged to include all partners in a single submission.

Montgomery Thrive does not require an EIN or any personal identifying information at this time. Individuals and business owners are encouraged to include their name and contact information in their surveys or project idea submissions.

Combined, the City of Montgomery and Montgomery County were allocated $85 million from the federal government to help the community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funds must be used in a way that directly helps the Montgomery community recover from the COVID-19 public health emergency, and each dollar must be spent in accordance with strict federal guidelines. If funds are found to have been spent outside the parameters of the guidelines then Montgomery could be forced to repay those funds to the federal government.

Specifically, the Final Rule provides that funds can be expended in the following four ways:

1. To respond to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts;
2. To respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency;

3. For the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the COVID–19 public health emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year prior to the emergency; and

4. To make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.

Per the federal guidance, issues  that may be eligible for funding under these four categories may include public health response, economic recovery response, assistance to low-income communities, and investment in necessary infrastructure. For example, using these funds to build an amusement park would likely not fit into the federal guidelines; however, building a community health center in a low-income community would likely be an eligible use of these funds.

For more information regarding the federal guidelines, please review the Final Rule , or the more reader-friendly Final Rule Overview.

Montgomery Thrive is made up of Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, the Montgomery County Commission, and the Montgomery City Council.