JUNE 2020
COVID-19 Relief Funding for Local Government
What are the priorities for the new round of relief funding that local governments may receive in 2021? CivicPulse, in collaboration with Stanford University’s Bill Lane Center for the American West, surveyed 494 local government officials to ask about the status of existing COVID-19 relief funding and where future funds might be spent. With new funds on the horizon, local governments are still spending existing funds and see priorities shifting and broadening.
COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS
Executive Summary
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, the federal government provided relief funding to local governments primarily through the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund that was part of the CARES Act. CivicPulse surveyed 494 elected policymakers and top appointed officials from counties, cities, and townships across the United States in January 2021 to understand the current status of relief funding, how funds had been used so far, and where additional funds would be spent if new stimulus funding is provided to local governments. Our key takeaways are:
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37% of local governments still plan on spending some of the 2020 relief funding in 2021.
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The most common areas where funds were spent were compliance with COVID-19 safety measures, personal protective equipment, and payroll for local government staff.
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Future spending is likely to be in many of the same areas, but more governments also predicted using funds for vaccines and additional small business support.
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Local governments were most likely to look to other local governments for guidance on how to spend funds, but also relied heavily on their respective state governments.