b'ViewpointsAt the local level, there is large variation in the extentways to engage their communities more meaningfully to to which city councils proactively seek citizen input asdetermine funding priorities. For example, Cook County, to spending priorities. RouteFifty writes that Alexandria,Illinois, hosted meetings and conducted surveys with Virginia, which will receive about $60 million, is surveyingcommunity-based organizations in historically marginalized residents for their input, using a range of approaches beyondcommunities, and created a process for ongoing engagement.traditional public hearings. In Charleston, West Virginia, community input in minority neighborhoods may lead to theLocalities with preexisting programs and priorities were able expansion of a local food co-op and allowing food stamps toto move more quickly. For example, Detroits workforce be used in local farmers markets to purchase produce. development initiative is using its funds to expand a preexisting Skills for Life pilot initiative to help individuals Baltimore is a good example of how large cities areget ready for work. This program, run as a pilot for five years, managing historic funding amounts. These monies totalwas found to reduce poverty by 90 percent. Similarly, King $641 million$141 million allocated to offset budget cuts,County, Washington, had a preexisting Social Justice Strategic the remaining $500 million to fund recovery programs.Plan that prioritizes homelessness as well as community health By the end of 2021, Mayor Brandon Scotts organizedand equity. The goal is to report not just dollars spent but the proposals for spending around five priority pillars, such asresultswhether people are better off and who is better off.equitable neighborhood development and clean and healthy communities. About one-third of more than 500 proposalsConclusioncame from city agencies; the remaining two-thirds fromThe bottom line, according to several experts, is that the nonprofits. For example, the city health department proposedfear that the massive influx of federal aid would be wasted increasing vaccination rates by operating mobile clinics.or would primarily be used to balance budgets or cut taxes The proposals then were integrated into the city councilsseems to be unfounded. For example, public finance expert approval process. Girard Miller, writing in Governing magazine, calls the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund an unintended social Where Are Funds Being Invested? science laboratory. He wrote, Its going to be important Treasury encourages states and localities to invest infor the state and local government community to be able evidence-based interventions where possible. However,to show politicians, pundits and voters that the federal Brookings saw few transformational investments in themoney they received is mostly being well and wisely spent, early plans submitted to Treasury that would emphasize and that serious studies of outcomes of these diverse long-term support and build systems capacity. experiments can show the funds benefited their most needy residents. As the quarterly spending reports become available At the state level, the National Association of State Budgetover the course of this year, they will be a rich resource for Officers reviewed thirty-nine state plans publicly availableresearchers to make such assessments, and for states and as of October 2021. It found that these states had definedlocalities to demonstrate that they can make a difference.allocations for only about half their funds (as of August 2021): 32 percent to replace lost revenues, 16 percent to infrastructure, and 9 percent for public health priorities. FootnoteAn October 2021 survey by the National League of Cities1.Economically hard-hit states received their full allocation in May found that two-thirds of cities expect to use American2021, as did Native American tribal governments. As a consequence, as of August 31, 2021, a total of $240 billion had been distributed.Rescue Plan Act money to cover lost revenues. It concluded that these funds helped localities to avoid painful choices, such as further layoffs of employees and cutting essential services. The second-most cited use of Recovery Funds was to ameliorate the negative economic effects of the pandemic to small businesses, households, and nonprofits. Results for America, an advocacy and research nonprofit for more evidence-based government, reviewed 149 initial plans by large cities and counties that were submitted in August 2021 to Treasury. It found that about half were investing in 78 www.businessofgovernment.org The Business of Government'