Royston Works on How to Spend ARP Act Funding

The City of Royston is working on how to spend almost a million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funding.

At their meeting last week, City Manager Ed Andrews said the City is receiving a total of just over $960-thousand dollars and has already received $480-thousand of that.

Now the question remains to find projects that are approved under the terms of the ARP Act.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including the public health and economic impacts.

Over $60 billion is being allocated to cities primarily to respond to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus and/or its negative economic impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality.

It can also be used by cities to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.

That’s according to a publication put out by the League of California Cities.

Andrews said determining what the funds can be applied to in Royston has been a complicated process.

Once that’s determined by the committee, he said the City Council will have to vote on a budget amendment at their meeting next month.

Under Georgia law, Royston must submit a list of those projects to the State by the end of October, he said.