Sep 14

Sep 14 Mayor, Councilmembers unanimous on community investments with American Rescue Plan funds

Breaking News, Building up business, Cultivating a creative economy, Getting people off the street, Helping all people thrive, Investing in young people, Keeping people housed, Supporting Sacramento's health

Sacramento (Sept. 14, 2021) - The Sacramento City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the blueprint proposed by Mayor Darrell Steinberg to govern how the City spends $112 million in American Rescue Plan funds over the next two years. Mayor Steinberg made some changes to the framework since he first proposed it in August to reflect feedback from the Council and the community.

The largest amendment is $5 million allocated specifically for investments and improvements for the Northgate Boulevard commercial corridor.

Based on community input, the Mayor added $500,000 for childcare services, bringing the total for childcare to $1.5 million. Local food banks will receive $500,000. An additional $300,000 was allocated to the Center for Workers’ Rights, bringing the total to $550,000 for this advocacy and training organization.

The updated letter also requests that the City Manager’s Office track and report all youth-related expenditures, across all funding categories, to clearly identify the City’s youth investments. Finally, strong racial equity language that acknowledges the city’s on-going commitment to racial equity and prioritizes using a racial equity lens in ARP funding decisions is detailed in the letter.

“We are saying forevermore when this city does budgets, when the city has opportunities to invest one time monies, that our core priorities include the community.” Mayor Steinberg said in his opening remarks. “That’s what is significant about this, it builds on CARES, it builds upon Measure U, and it will continue our momentum going forward.”

Read the full resolution

With the funding framework fully authorized, the real work begins within various city departments to develop and share the process to make these funds accessible.

The spending framework from Mayor Steinberg breaks ARP spending down into the following categories:

Small Business and Commercial Corridor Revitalization ($29 million)
Solutions to homelessness and affordable housing construction ($41 million)
Youth, workforce training and gang prevention programs ($19 million, $12 million from ARP )
Arts and the creative economy ($10 million)
City employees and organizational needs ($25 million, $20 million from ARP)