What is ARPA? 

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) signed into law on March 11, 2021, provides $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to help mitigate the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to remedy the disparity between rising costs and falling revenues. Albany County has been allocated to receive $59.3 million in two equal tranches, creating a historic opportunity to achieve fiscally responsible objectives that will shape the County’s recovery and future. 

County Process

A decision-making framework has been established to oversee the use of ARPA funds that will adhere to Treasury guidelines, combat the negative impacts of COVID-19, and set the County on a path to sustainable and inclusive economic growth. This framework includes an Executive Committee composed of key County officials, including the County Executive, bipartisan representation from the County Legislature, the County Comptroller, and the Office of Management and Budget, as well as focused subcommittees composed of County representatives and public stakeholders. Subcommittees have worked collaboratively to establish priority areas of investment based on member expertise and community input. 

Community Engagement

The County is committed to ensuring that our ARPA investments directly respond to the needs of County residents and that they address the inequities exposed by the pandemic. As such, the County developed a four-pronged community engagement strategy to shape its ARPA decision-making. 

On October 17, 2022, the County launched a website and interactive survey for the community to provide input on needs and priorities for ARPA funding. Response highlights from the public engagement survey are provided below. For more a more comprehensive breakdown of survey responses, please visit albanycountyarpa.org. 

Investment Plan

You can view and download a PDF version of the investment plan here: Albany County ARPA Investment Plan [PDF].