About King County's recovery efforts

Overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed on February 17, 2009 by President Barack Obama, is an extraordinary effort to jumpstart our economy, save and create millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression. With much at stake, the Act provides for unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability so that you can identify how, when, and where your tax dollars are being spent.

King County’s ARRA Funding Criteria

Applications for recovery funds by King County are prioritized by competitive funding opportunities that meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. Create or preserve jobs in King County;
2. Specifically address or seek to rectify funding shortfalls in the 2009 adopted county budget for programs that do not have twelve-month funding;
3. Promote public safety through county law enforcement, prosecution, courts and public defense;
4. Sustain essential public health programs, consistent with the adopted public health operational master plan;
5. Support essential regional human services, such as:
   • public housing and homeless shelters;
   • improving safety conditions for the people of King County through maintenance or replacement of antiquated buildings or other structures;
   • addressing inefficient transportation infrastructure;
   • improving or replacing antiquated emergency management communications and technology;
   • sustaining public transit operations or improving transit equipment;
   • improving energy efficiency of county operations and county facilities;
   • or, water quality, wastewater treatment
6. Puget Sound recovery
   

Funding Allocation

Stimulus funds are allocated in King County through four avenues:

1. Formula grants are funds allocated by a formula to states from the federal government and, in turn, to local governments.
2. Competitive grants are funds that are distributed through competitive solicitations. All stimulus competitive grants that King County have applied for thus far are through federal agencies.
3. Direct Management grants are given directly to the county from the federal government.
4. Pass-through funding is channeled through state agencies and/or regional government bodies before being allocated to the county.
   

Transparency and Accountability

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act makes clear that every taxpayer dollar spent must be subject to unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability. King County Ordinance 16513, enacted on May 31, 2009, intends that all stimulus funding provided to the county is accounted for, and information is made available and updated monthly on this site.

Additionally, the County’s Recovery Act Coordinator is working with county grant coordinators and managers to assure that all stimulus funds are properly acquired, distributed and reported.