How Much Pierce County Will Get From $350B American Rescue Plan

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — The U.S. Department of Treasury on Monday released a breakdown showing how much financial help communities can expect from the $350 billion set aside by Congress for Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.

Of that money, Pierce County is set to receive $175.8 million — the second-largest allocation in the state after King County, which will receive $437.5 million.

"With this funding, communities hit hard by COVID-19 will be able to return to a semblance of normalcy; they'll be able to rehire teachers, firefighters and other essential workers – and to help small businesses reopen safely," said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a statement.

The emergency funding for local governments was set aside by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) earlier this year. The funds are meant to be used to respond to acute pandemic-response needs, fill revenue shortfalls among state and local governments, and support the communities and populations hardest-hit by the COVID-19 crisis, according to the Treasury.

In addition to allowing for flexible spending up to the level of their revenue loss, the Treasury says, recipients can use funds to:

• Support the public health response, paying for testing, vaccination clinic, medical expenses and more.
• Address the economic fallout, rehiring public workers, providing food, housing or financial aid to those in need of assistance.
• Aid those hardest hit by the crisis, supporting an equitable recovery by addressing longstanding public health, economic and educational disparities.
• Invest in water, sewer and broadband, improving access to clean drinking water and broadband internet.

The Pierce County Council has already put some ARPA funding to use. Late last month they unanimously approved a plan to spend $50.5 million of the funding to support the county as it rolled back into Phase 2 of the Healthy Washington plan. That spending includes:

• $4 million to double the county's Rollback Relief Grant Program.
• $5 million to support new businesses through technical assistance grants with a focus on Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.
• $2.4 million for housing and the homelessness crisis.
• $2 million to local food banks.

Read more: Pierce County Council Signs Off On $50 Million In Pandemic Relief

The act also allows counties to give money to provide extra pay for essential workers who have risked their health and kept working during the pandemic — which touches on an issue the county is currently grappling with. Recently the Pierce County Council approved a proposal asking grocery stores to give workers hazard pay during the pandemic. Pierce Executive Bruce Dammeier has vowed to veto that proposal. The county council still has a month to try and override Dammeier's veto, but this funding could provide an alternative path to getting those workers extra pay.

Related: Pierce Exec To Veto Hazard Pay For Grocery Store Workers

Patch Staffer Jenna Fisher contributed to this report.