Brown Convenes Roundtable with Treasury Department and Local Ohio Officials to Discuss How to Use American Rescue Plan Funds

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) hosted a virtual roundtable today with U.S. Treasury Department officials and nearly 200 Ohio mayors, county commissioners and other local leaders to discuss how to spend the resources they received from the American Rescue Plan, and ensure local leaders have the information they need.

The American Rescue Plan, passed in 2021, included $350 billion in state and local aid - $195 billion for states, and $132 billion for counties, cities and towns. Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury adopted the final rule implementing the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program under the American Rescue Plan. Brown convened this roundtable so Ohio leaders could ask questions, and make sure they are best positioned to make the most of these funds.

"Again and again I heard from mayors and county commissioners that they needed flexibility in how to spend federal aid, and enough time to make those investments wisely," said Brown. "We took that feedback, and made sure the aid we passed in the American Rescue Plan had as much flexibility built in as possible. We wanted this funding to be simple and straightforward, so that local leaders can meet the needs of your communities as we continue to deal with the pandemic."

"As a local government, there are sometimes a lot of guidelines left open for interpretation. We are thankful that Senator Brown has provided us with an opportunity to get answers to questions that may be at times, hard to ask," saidCatherine Cercone Miller, Mayor of Struthers. "Senator Brown, once again, helps to close that gap between local and state governments."

The SLFRF program provides governments across the country with the resources needed to:

• Fight the pandemic and support families and businesses struggling with its public health and economic impacts,

• Maintain vital public services, even amid declines in revenue resulting from the crisis, and
• Build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity.

The final SLFRF rule goes into effect on April 1, 2022.

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