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  ARP Funding To Ohio Townships In Limbo  
  Ryan’s Office Said Boardman Would Get At Least $7.2 Million:   May 13, 2021 Edition  
     BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      Two months after Congressman Tim Ryan’s office notified U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellin about concerns townships in Ohio may be excluded from receipt of subsidies from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), uncertainty still remains about the funding.
      Under the plan, Ryan’s office notified Boardman Township it would be eligible for between $7.2 million and $8.7 million in funding from the ARP under provisions of the act first approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.
      On Mon., May 10, Heidi Fought, executive director of the Ohio Township Association (OTA), said to date, only three of the more than 1,300 townships in Ohio---Colerain, Green and West Chester---would receive ARP funding.
      “Confusion regarding ARP funding [has been] caused by language inconsistencies between bill versions – more specifically, a definition change in the term ‘nonentitlement unit of local government.’ Townships in Ohio (and in several other states) were included during the House process but were left out of the final version of the legislation.
      “Townships have been hit hard economically by COVID-19. If they are not determined eligible for direct funds or provided funds via a transfer from an eligible entity, over one thousand units of local government will be put at a disadvantage when trying to recover from the pandemic’s effects.” Fought said.
      “Treasury plans to provide further guidance on distributions to non-entitlement units in the coming days. The OTA is hopeful that all townships in Ohio will be part of that upcoming guidance and will be considered eligible non-entitlement units of local government,” Fought added.
      Uncertainty over the ARP funding impacts some 54 townships in Rep. Ryan’s district.
      While, for example, Mahoning County is slated to receive some $44 million, and the city of Youngstown will reportedly receive $88.63 million, the 54 townships in Ryan’s district will not receive any ARP funding.
      According to the congressman, under the House-approved version of the ARP, townships in his district were slated to receive a minimum of upwards of $81.624 million.
      Fought suggests “If [more than 1300] Ohio townships are ultimately not determined eligible for direct funds, townships could potentially still receive ARP funds via a voluntary transfer from other eligible entities (like state government), which the OTA has discussed with statewide leaders.”
      Under the CARES Act, okayed during the Trump Administration, Boardman Township received some $2.1 million.
      ‘Minimum’ allocations to townships from the ARP, as Rep. Ryan announced in mid-March to townships in his district included the following:
       •Austintown: $5.64 million
       •Boardman: $7.2 million
       •Poland: $2.65 million
       •Brookfield: $1.553 million
       •Champion: $1.684 million
       •Howland: $3.367 million
       •Hubbard: $2.365 million
       •Jackson: $7.456 million
       •Liberty: $3.841 million
       •Weathersfield: $4.563 million
      In a Mar. 18 letter to Sec. Yellin, Rep. Ryan and Sen. Sherrod Brown urged the Treasury Secretary “to use your discretion to interpret [the ARP] to the fullest extent practicable so that townships receive all the support Congress intended them to receive.
      “After a long and trying year, it is critical we provide this urgent relief to our local governments who are on the front lines serving our communities each and every day.”
      On Tues., Jordan Pennell, of Sen. Brown’s office, said “Funding amounts for non-entitlement units (that includes townships) are presently available only in aggregate at the state level. Treasury expects to provide further guidance on distributions to non-entitlement units in the coming days.
      “A separate announcement will be made next week about townships. Treasury is still working with the Census Bureau to be as inclusive as possible with townships.”
 
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