Number
201600
Version
SUBSTITUTE 1
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. MURPHY, JOHNSON, KOVAC AND PEREZ
Title
Substitute resolution directing the Department of Administration-Budget and Management Division to prepare and submit to the Common Council a report on whether and how the various CARES Act grant funds received by the City were expended.
Analysis
This resolution directs the Department of Administration-Budget and Management Division to prepare and submit to the Common Council a report on whether and how the various CARES Act grant funds received by the City were expended.
Body
Whereas, The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was a federal economic stimulus bill, signed into law in March 2020, that in part allocated $150 billion in aid to state and local governments in response to COVID-19, including $5 billion in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG); and
Whereas, Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin announced on March 31, 2020 that the City would receive $9,574,616 in CDBG-CARES Act funding and on September 11, 2020 that the City would receive an additional $3,364,766 in CDBG-CARES Act funding; and
Whereas, On May 8, 2020, the Common Council adopted File Number 200022, authorizing the City to accept and expend $102.98 million on public health expenses under the Local Government Grant portion of the CARES Act; and
Whereas, In August 2020, the City announced that an additional $15 million in CARES Act funding would be devoted to rental support and assistance to help over 3,000 families remain in stable housing; and
Whereas, On October 13, 2020, the Common Council adopted Resolution File Number 200660, authorizing the Department of Administration’s Community Development Grants Administration (CDGA) to accept $981,386 in State of Wisconsin CARES Act funding; and
Whereas, On December 15, 2020, the Common Council adopted Resolution File Number 201056, authorizing CDGA to amend its action plan with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in light of CDGA receiving over $5 million in CARES Act funding; and
Whereas, As of March 2021, CDGA holds approximately $30 million in unspent CDBG-CARES Act funds; and
Whereas, Additional details concerning the City’s allocation and expenditure of CARES Act funds are largely unknown; and
Whereas, Comprehensive budgeting information concerning CARES Act dollars, including allocations and expenditures among and by City departments, has not yet been provided to the Common Council or the public; and
Whereas, By examining and reporting the exact dollar amounts distributed to specific City programs using CARES Act funding, including allocations from the state and county governments and spent and unspent CDBG funds, the Budget Office would enable residents to learn which services City government chose to prioritize with these emergency federal funds; now, therefore be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Department of Administration-Budget and Management Division prepare and submit to the Common Council a report on whether and how the various CARES Act grant funds received by the City were expended; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Department of Administration-Budget and Management Division shall submit the report to the Common Council within 30 days of adoption of this resolution.
Requestor
Drafter
Alex Highley
LRB176614-2
3/24/2021