The American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program provided funds to every municipality in the country to mitigate the damage caused by the pandemic. New Jersey received $10.2 billion including $1.74 billion split among all municipalities.
While it seems far off, there are only 14 months until the obligation deadline of December 31, 2024. If a municipality has not obligated its SLFRF funds by the end of 2024, they will have to return the funds to Treasury.
Obligating the funds means that it is not enough for local governments to simply budget the money, they need to go a step further and place an order for property or services that requires payment. In the case of payroll, grantees need to follow state and local established practices.
For more information, please read the recent blog post by the League’s federal partner, the National League of Cities that outlines budgeting, preparation, and best practices leading up to the deadline.
Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.