How To Track Stimulus Spending in Your Local Area!

Coronavirus might be going out of style faster than a pair of Yeezys, but the stimmy money is still pouring into local municipalities. 💰🚀 A whopping $1.9 trillion (with a T) was set aside for relief from the pandemic and a lot of it still needs to be spent. 

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If you wanna get your Sherlock Holmes on, there are ways to track the spending right from your laptop and comfy couch. No cape or magnifying glass necessary! 🕵️

Here’s Five Fast Facts on the funds and how to track spending:

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1. 💥 Kick Start - The American Rescue Plan Act included $350 billion for states and local municipalities to give the economy a much needed kick in the pants.
2. 💸 Who Wants to Be a Billionaire? - As of September, PA officials report that $6.15 billion of the recovery funds has already been given out. 
3. 📋 Spend Wisely- Municipalities can use the funding for a number of things, including public health initiatives, replacing lost revenue due to pandemic-related causes, and funding infrastructure projects like water and sewer systems.
4. ⌛ Tick Tock, Ya Don't Stop - Municipalities have until the end of 2024 to decide what to do with the remaining money. The last of the funds must be used by the end of 2026.
5. 🧑‍💻 Track Star - Wanna see how your municipality is using the funding? Check out the Local Government ARPA Investment Tracker. Need more? Pair your morning cup o' Joe with a scroll through the federal government's Pandemic Oversight dashboard. 

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🔥Bottom line: Even though a lot of the money's been given out, there's a ton left. Municipalities have two whole years to decide how to spend the rest, which means citizens still have a say. If you want to make a difference, consider firing up one of the mentioned tracking websites and take what you find to a public meeting. Get a seat at your municipality's table and jump in the conversation!

Are you going to track your local government's spending?

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Speaking of local government, we've got your midterm election info hookup right here:

• Make sure to vote in the midterm elections on November 8th. Need to register to vote? Go here. Need to check your polling location? Go here. Want to file to vote absentee? Check this out.
• Let your friends know that they suck if they don’t vote. It may sound harsh, but it’s true... and here’s a spicy meme you can send to them as a reminder.
• Here’s the group to help you and your friends stay accountable and get the info you need as you prep for voting.

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