Helpful ARP Guidance Issued from OBM
The OTA thanks the Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) for the detailed instructions emailed to Ohio’s local governments – including townships – on how to obtain ARP funds. To clarify, as the email states, this helpful guidance applies to forms of local government that have been determined eligible for direct ARP funds. The U.S. Treasury has not yet released a decision regarding Ohio townships’ direct eligibility for these funds. If determined eligible, the OBM email will be a great resource for townships.
OBM Instructions for Local Governments Determined Eligible for ARP Funds
The 1,308 townships in the Buckeye State may have been excluded from direct ARP funding, and have received support from Ohio’s Congressional delegation and at the state and local levels. The confusion regarding funding eligibility can be traced back to language inconsistencies between the U.S. Senate and U.S. House versions of the bill. Though included in original funding estimates, the final version of the bill did not include townships in Ohio, North Dakota, Illinois and several other states due to a definition change in the term “nonentitlement unit of local government.”
For future steps that might be taken on behalf of townships (if not determined eligible within the Treasury’s 60-day fund distribution window), the letters of support townships have received, and other details, see the links below:
Past releases that have included letters of support can be located here.