Letter to the Editor: Local Use of ARPA Funds

To the Editor:

Devastating effects that the pandemic visited upon local governments across the country led Congress and President Biden to step in by passing the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) last spring.

Our local Villages and Towns have taken action and are using these funds judiciously. Some examples of how towns are implementing the ARPA monies:

The Town of Cortlandt intends to apply the funding to advance economic development augmented by similar efforts by the Village of Buchanan facing severe economic challenges with the closing of Indian Point nuclear power plant are using its allocations to build infrastructure that will advance economic development.

Practically overnight Croton-on-Hudson was hit hard by the pandemic shutdown that depended on the revenue from 2000 parking spaces at the Croton Harmon Metro North train station.

Ossining and Peekskill similarly are using funds for infrastructure improvement and public health issues.

As citizens we should recognize the important role our government must play, locally and nationally in addressing the challenges presented by things like Covid and climate change. With no foreseeable end in site of the pandemic, without the American Rescue Plan Act our communities  and families would be in more dire straits by reductions in everything from emergency services to public health to environmental protection.

Respectfully
Karen Sevell Greenbaum
Croton-on-Hudson, NY

2 Comments

  1. The writer makes a great point. Contrary to Ronald Reagan’s famous statement to the effect that government is the enemy, sometimes (like now) you really need the federal government to step in to help states and localities to meet unforeseen challenges.

  2. Yes. And those who think government is spending too much may be unhappy when their tax credits and checks stop coming.

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