Tracking local stimulus dollars

Details still unclear

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — President Barack Obama promised that residents will be able to track the $787 billion in stimulus funding as it flows from the federal government to the states and finally to the county.

But the tracking possibilities have not yet become a reality. If you go to www.recovery.gov you’ll find some broad outlines of where the money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is headed, but very few specifics. A paragraph on the site reads, “Very soon, the different agencies—such as the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Energy—will decide who will receive award grants and contracts. Sometimes, the money will go to a state government; other times, the funds will go directly to a school, hospital, contractor or other organization.” But until the funding is distributed to state and local governments, and other entities, the government won’t be able to determine exactly where all of the funding will go.”

There are some good guesses, however, about where at least some of it will go. The Sullivan County Legislature on February 19 passed a resolution allowing the bonding of $3 million to pay for repairs to roads and bridges. According to county manager David Fanslau, the county was notified by NY Department of Transportation that Sullivan County will likely be eligible for up to $3 million from the stimulus bill. Because of the way the program is structured, the county has to spend the money first and then be reimbursed, so the resolution began that process.

In New York, there are three main paths by which money will reach the county level. One is that a certain amount of funds will go to counties under the Federal Medicaid Assistance Program (FMAP). Fanslau said, “The county is hopeful that over nine quarters we are going to receive up to $11 million to offset the county share of Medicaid costs.”

A second way that funds might come to the county is through Governor David Paterson’s office. Fanslau said, “Paterson has established a new cabinet-level position that will be putting out criteria for projects that will be paid for with the state-funded portion of the stimulus program. So, we have the grants administration department ready to respond to any grants available from that office.”

A third way that funds might come to the county is through elected representatives in Washington, DC. Fanslau said, “We’re going to be appealing directly to Congressman Maurice Hinchey, Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to see if we can get earmarks for other programs.”

In Pennsylvania, the FMAP funding will not go to the county because in that state, as in 47 others, counties do not pay a share of Medicaid funding. The FMAP benefits will go directly to the state.

Otherwise, the path of federal money to the state and counties in Pennsylvania will probably have similarities to those in New York. A spokesman from Governor Rendell’s office said Pennsylvania counties will probably apply to the governor’s office for some projects, and other funds will come from the state’s representatives in Washington, DC.