Title
Authorizing the Committee on Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation to hold a hearing examining the use and impact of the stimulus dollars allocated for Philadelphia under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act.
Body
WHEREAS, On March 10, 2021, the 117th Congress of the United States and President Joseph Biden officially enacted a $1.9 trillion stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan Act, in response to the economic crisis brought on by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia’s City government is scheduled to receive $1.4 billion as part of the American Rescue Plan Act which will help Philadelphia recover from the economic downturn experienced in fiscal year 2021 and mitigate the financial impact on the City’s five-year financial plan; and
WHEREAS, The American Rescue Plan Act is a unique opportunity for the City to plan for its future and make significant investments in programs and policies that set Philadelphia on a new trajectory to grow family-sustaining jobs at a faster rate, reduce and combat entrenched systemic poverty, and develop new and innovative methods for performing city services; and
WHEREAS, The federal dollars provided in the American Rescue Plan Act will arrive in Philadelphia incrementally with the first half being dispersed before the end the City’s fiscal year 2021 and the second half arriving over the course of the City’s five-year financial plan. Careful planning will be needed to make the most of this influx; and
WHEREAS, In addition to direct funding to the City, the American Rescue Plan Act provides an additional $1.3 billion to the School District of Philadelphia which will also need planning to address the major funding challenges of the District including building renovations to ensure the safety of students and staff which will be discussed in future City Council Hearings in the Committee on Education; and
WHEREAS, Working within the parameters determined at the federal level, Philadelphia’s leaders will need to plan for measuring the performance of programs funded, department operations, use of overtime, and any increases in spending during this precarious time so that a windfall of federal dollars is used in the most efficient and impactful manner; and
WHEREAS, The American Rescue Plan Act has created space for bold new thinking in City government. Now is the time to consider broadly impactful policy changes to encourage small business growth, and attraction of new businesses to Philadelphia and be part of the post-pandemic revitalization which will benefit all Philadelphians; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia has a unique opportunity to move the needle on its most pressing problem - an extremely high rate of poverty. Planning around the American Rescue Plan Act which engages all City leadership and partners in the non-profit and private sectors is needed to make sure work in the anti-poverty space continues to be supported and meaningfully expanded; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED that the City Council of Philadelphia hereby authorizes the Committee on Fiscal Stability and Intergovernmental Cooperation to hold a hearing examining the use and impact of the stimulus dollars allocated for Philadelphia under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act.
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