Website Offers Information About $63M American Rescue Plan Fund

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A new website launched by the county will provide information, accept feedback and track progress on the management of the $63.2 million American Rescue Plan funding granted to Howard County by the U.S. Department of Treasury in June. In the interest of transparency, the website will provide access to all reports submitted by the county to the U.S. Department of Treasury, provide a portal to accept comments on spending priorities from the community and connect the public to important guidance on federal ARP efforts, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said.

“Howard County is poised to emerge from the pandemic stronger than before and thrive,” Ball said. “Through our extensive efforts, we’ve identified critical areas of investment that will benefit all of our residents. This website is a vital source of information for our residents, and an opportunity to provide feedback on how these funds are allocated. Our road to recovery is not a straight path, but hope is on the horizon and we are confident that through our extensive community engagement process and thoughtful approach to relief funding, we will set Howard County on a successful path forward.”

Ball also released the county’s initial recovery plan submission to the U.S. Treasury, the first of seven required annual recovery plan submissions to Treasury prior to the December 31, 2026 deadline to complete all work and expend all funds. The initial Recovery Plan submission covers all activity from the date of the award through July 31, 2021.

The vision laid out in the initial Recovery Plan submission builds on the recommendations laid out in the HoCo RISE Collaborative Report, which outlined a path forward for continued response and recovery from the pandemic this past March. Launched in November 2020, the 50-member HoCo RISE Collaborative provided guidance on the county’s public health response, government response, jobs and the economy, education and workforce and family opportunities.