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American Rescue Plan Act

 

Need help with your April 2024 report to Treasury?

 

Then schedule a time now to secure your 30-minute slot in our April calendar by self-booking a time for one-on-one assistance:

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Important Updates:

Please check this page often.  VLCT will post the latest updates here as we learn them.

  1. Treasury's reporting portal will open April 1st with your 2024 Project & Expenditure (P&E) report loaded and ready for you to complete it.
  2. Make sure anything you intend to report as "obligated" meets Treasury's definition!  Just transferring your ARPA funds into your general fund does not meet the definition of obligated.  “Appropriating,” “designating,” “setting aside,” “reserving,” etc. your ARPA funds does not meet the definition for obligated
  3. You can now "Lock" completed projects in the portal.  See instructions in VLCT's Vermont NEUs Guide to Treasury's Compliance Portal.
  4. Even if you reported your ARPA funds as fully obligated and expended in your 2023 or 2022 reporting, you still must submit your 2024 Project & Expenditure (P&E) Report. Sign into Treasury's reporting portal NOW to make sure that your municipality has the appropriate roles assigned to the appropriate people so reporting can be easily completed when the 2024 P&E Report is available on April 1st.  Whoever is assigned as your "Account Administrator" can add people to any of the three roles in the portal.  If you need help understanding how to add or change roles assigned in the reporting portal, refer to VLCT's Vermont NEUs Guide to Treasury's Compliance Portal.

 


Dates to Remember:

  1. April 1, 2024 - Treasury's reporting portal opens and will remain open until April 30th, which is the last day that you can submit your required reporting for the period April 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024.  

  2. April 30, 2024 - ALL ARPA recipients must complete the required reporting, even if all funds were reported as obligated and expended in the 2023 reporting period.

  3. December 31, 2024 - All ARPA funds must be "obligated."  Any ARPA funds not obligated by 12/31/2024 must be returned to Treasury. Just transferring your ARPA funds into your general fund does not meet the definition of obligated.  “Appropriating,” “designating,” “setting aside,” “reserving,” etc. your ARPA funds does not meet the definition for obligated!  

  4. December 31, 2026 - All ARPA funds must be "expended."  Any ARPA funds not expended by 12/31/2026 must be returned to Treasury.  

VLCT's ARPA Updates and Recommendations:


 
ARPA: Single Audit? Or Alternative Compliance Examination Engagement (ACEE)?  

If your professional auditor is not familiar with the nuances of your local ARPA award, please share this Resource item with them.

 


About ARPA

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF, aka ARPA) which provides $350 billion to state and local governments for the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Of Vermont’s $1.25 billion share, over $200 million was allocated to municipalities.

Legislative bodies have discretion and flexibility over how to spend their local ARPA funds. VLCT encourages its members to take their time, be thoughtful, and plan strategically. 

 

VLCT extends our thanks to the Vermont Legislature and Governor Phil Scott, their support allowed VLCT to establish the ARPA Assistance and Coordination Program to support Vermont’s towns, cities and villages that chose to accept ARPA funding.  

  • ICMA ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Spending Priorities Survey ICMA surveyed local government chief administrative officers (CAOs) in September 2021 about their priorities for utilizing the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)’s Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (FRF). Nearly 600 town, city, and county managers responded. Responses include local governments with populations ranging from less than 2,500 to over one million; two thirds came from communities of 25,000 or fewer residents, which fall under the U.S. Treasury definition of “Non-entitlement Units” (NEUs, i.e., local governments typically serving a population of under 50,000). Direct FRF recipients include counties and metropolitan citie

Framework

Planning Framework for Maximum Impact and Best Use of Municipal ARPA Funds