CORONAVIRUS
SLC Mayor Reveals Framework For $87 Million In COVID-19 Relief
Mar 25, 2021, 2:15 PM | Updated: 2:56 pm
FILE: Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall laid out her plans Thursday for spending the $87 million in funds allocated to the city under the American Rescue Plan Act that was approved earlier this month.
Mendenhall said most of the money will be invested in “equitable and sustainable COVID recovery” for the community, according to a news release.
“We want to support your access to a good job, we want to support your business and your ability to launch new businesses. We want your kids to have positive, safe, engaging after-school programming and mentorship,” Mendenhall said. “This sum isn’t merely a helping hand, it’s a slingshot that will thrust us forward in our pursuit of an equitable and evolutionary recovery.”
The money will be disbursed in two batches with the first part available next month. The U.S. Treasury has yet to release rules on how exactly the money can be spent, but the release said cities expected that more flexibility in this funding compared to other COVID-19 stimulus plans.
The release outlined three distinct principles the city will use as a guide on how the money will be used: equitable economic recovery, resident stability and opportunity, as well as city services for employees and residents.
Mendenhall said public feedback will also be taken into consideration. “In addition to the information we’ve collected from community partners over this past year, we’ll solicit feedback from the community on priority needs so that this funding will make a truly meaningful impact on our residents’ quality of life,” she said.
Previous relief funds started efforts like improving digital equity and an apprenticeship program. The new money will make it possible to continue those projects, according to the release.
“This is an incredible opportunity to do so much good, both immediate and in the long term,” Mendenhall said. “In the years to come, I want Salt Lakers to be able to look around their neighborhood, and around their city, and see the results of the investments we’ll start making soon in an equitable COVID recovery with this federal aid.”
