Today, Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb formally announced the launch of a new American Rescue Plan Trust Fund Monitoring Page. The site, housed within Fiscal Focus Pittsburgh, will be a central location for the public to find information about the American Rescue Plan funds allocated to the City of Pittsburgh. Since 2018, the Controller’s Office has maintained Fiscal Focus Pittsburgh providing interactive charts, graphs, and tables to easily visualize the City’s financial information. You can view the American Rescue Plan Trust Fund (ARPTF) page on the Fiscal Focus website here: https://fiscalfocus.pittsburghpa.gov.
“One year ago today, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law,” said Controller Lamb. “These funds have been a lifeline for local governments across the country. This is especially true in Pittsburgh, where the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a $50 million dollar deficit in 2020 alone.”
Website visitors will be able to see monies that have been encumbered, allocated, and spent. The Controller’s office will also centralize all ARPTF contracts and legislation that authorizes spending. The latter half of the city’s $335 million dollar allotment is expected in May.
Lamb continued, “It was Congress’s intent that all municipalities receiving these funds commit to transparency in how they’re spent. This page ensures that our residents know exactly when and how the city is allocating them.”
The City Controller will audit the ARPTF at least annually, and it is expected that this site will become more dynamic over time. The City’s Office of Management and Budget is responsible for reporting to the U.S. Treasury, and those reports are also linked on the ARPTF Monitoring Page.