It's been seven weeks since President Joe Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan that included direct aid for local governments.
"You know, we will receive funds from the American Rescue Plan. Still haven’t received a final number from the U.S. Treasury on that. They are still working on issuing guidance," City of Tulsa Chief Financial Officer James Wagner told city councilors in a Wednesday update.
The American Rescue Plan includes $130 billion in direct aid for local governments. Asked by city councilors how they might be able to spend any money Tulsa gets, Wagner said that, too, is still up in the air.
"We really need to see the guidance from the treasury department before we can really move forward on any kind of recommendations on that," Wagner said.
Wagner said Mayor G.T. Bynum's proposed fiscal year 2022 budget would help the city prepare for another situation like a pandemic by bolstering emergency reserves.
Tulsa County officials heard a week after Biden signed the relief package they would get $126 million and later learned it would come in two equal disbursements for preapproved spending.
The state's community health centers are in line for a combined $64 million, and the state is getting $10 million specifically to help students experiencing homelessness.
A congressional committee report estimated the city could get $90 million.