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ARPA Information

The American Rescue Act Plan

What is The American Rescue Plan Act?

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a $1.9 trillion federal economic aid package designed to address the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. The Act was signed into law on March 11, 2021.

Part of ARPA is the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recover Funds (SLFRF) which delivered $350 billion to state, local and tribal governments. As a local government, the City of Amarillo received funds to be used to fight the Coronavirus pandemic, maintain vital public resources, and build a strong local recovery.

How can ARPA funds be used?

The U.S. Treasury Department provided limitations regarding what kinds of expenditures are approved for ARPA funds. In other words, those funds are only allowed to be spent on projects and programs in certain categories. Those categories are:

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Replace Lost Public Sector Revenue

This category includes funding to replace city revenue lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Address Negative Economic Impacts

This category includes funding to address economic harms caused by the COVID-19 including those to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector.

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Support Public Health Response

This category includes funding for COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health staff and safety staff.

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Invest in Water, Sewer, and Broadband Infrastructure

This category includes funding for necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet.

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Provide Premium Pay for Essential Workers

This category includes funding to support those who have borne and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors.

How much money did the City of Amarillo receive?

The City of Amarillo received a total of $39.7 million from the American Rescue Plan. Half of the funds were received May 19, 2021, and the remaining half was received on June 6, 2022. 

Who decides which City of Amarillo programs or projects should get ARPA money?

The Amarillo City Council decides how to spend the ARPA funds at regular City Council meetings within the limitations that the U.S. Treasury identified as approved. They consider things like which programs have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which projects will have the biggest impact on our community, and how the money might be turned into investments that will benefit the City for decades to come.

On October 12, 2021, the Amarillo City Council approved the allocation of the first round of funds for several different projects.

On June 14, 2022, the Amarillo City Council approved the allocation of the second round of funds for a variety of different programs and projects.

On April 25, 2023, the Amarillo City Council approved an amendment to the project plan for the second round of funds for a variety of different programs and projects.

On February 27, 2024, the Amarillo City Council approved an amendment to the project plan to reallocate a portion of Broadband funding to Homeless Reintegration.

Second Half of ARPA Funds

The following chart illustrates the City Council-approved allocations for the second half of the ARPA funds received.

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Lost City Revenue ($14,313,919)

The ARPA funds include a formula that calculates the city revenue lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These replacement funds were used for various city council-approved operations and projects. 

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Senior Citizen Support ($100,000)

We used ARPA funds to support projects for improved ventilation, food insecurity assistance, and social distancing support for senior citizens. 

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Fire Department ($1,552,300)

We used ARPA funds to purchase additional equipment to better equip our firefighters to respond to emergency medical calls and for additional training to better prepare city firefighters to respond to medical emergencies.

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Park Improvement ($1,000,000)

We used ARPA funds to update park lighting in low to moderate income areas. 

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Homeless Reintegration ($1,363,940)

We used ARPA funds to continue a program that combined our need for better park maintenance with job opportunities for participants in the Coming Home program (assisting chronically homeless with housing). Additionally, we used ARPA funding to help fund a new pilot pallet shelter project to provide housing to the chronically homeless in our community to get them off the streets and into shelter. 

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Police Department ($1,108,000)

We used ARPA funds to remodel and update the Academy classrooms and locker room facilities for the Police Department. These much-needed updates will allow us to improve ventilation, increase Academy class sizes to bolster the staffing of our department, and modernize facilities to allow for proper social distancing. We also used ARPA funding to purchase equipment to better equip city police officers to respond to emergency calls.

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Neighborhood Improvement ($400,000)

We used ARPA funds to allow investment in underserved communities through our four existing neighborhood planning areas: North Heights, Barrio, San Jacinto, and Eastridge. With the input of these communities, funds will be used to provide additional investments in these historically underserved low to moderate income areas. 

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First Half of ARPA Funds

The following chart illustrates the City Council-approved allocations for the first half of the ARPA funds received.

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Lost City Revenue ($11,205,000)

The ARPA funds include a formula that calculates the city revenue lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These replacement funds were used for various city council-approved operations and projects.

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Senior Citizen Support ($500,000)

We used ARPA funds to support projects for improved ventilation, food insecurity assistance, and social distancing support for senior citizens.

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Fire Department ($433,159)

We used ARPA funds to purchase additional Lifepacks and provide additional paramedic training for our firefighters.

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Park Improvement ($600,000)

We used ARPA funds to purchase new playground equipment in four parks in low to moderate income areas.

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Tourism ($100,000)

We used ARPA funds to provide additional funding to the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to promote tourism and stimulate economic recovery for our tourism industry. 

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Homeless Reintegration ($350,000)

We used ARPA funds to pilot a program that combined our need for better park maintenance with job opportunities for participants in the Coming Home program (assisting chronically homeless with housing). Additionally, we used ARPA funding to help fund a new pilot pallet shelter project to provide housing to the chronically homeless in our community to get them off the streets and into shelter.

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Police Department ($750,000)

We used ARPA funds to purchase equipment  needed to create a crime center that will better monitor local crime due to an increase in gun violence.

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Citywide Broadband Internet Access ($5,900,000)

We used ARPA funds to provide affordable broadband internet connectivity to all Amarillo residents.

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Where can I learn more about the ARPA program?

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City of Amarillo: Property Taxes Rebated Per Year by Agreement Type 

Overview 

The chart shows the dollar amounts of property taxes rebated per year over the last five fiscal years, broken down by agreement type. There were no Chapter 380 property tax rebates in the first two years listed. The total amount increased slightly each year, with a more significant increase in the most recent year. 

Values 

Numerical values presented on the image: 

 

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 

Fiscal Year 2022/2023 

Fiscal Year 2023/2024 

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 

Chapter 311 

$533,080 

$547,426 

$574,947 

$591,249 

$821,350 

Chapter 380 

$0 

$0 

$37,387 

$39,172 

$61,013 

Presentation 

The bar chart shows the amount of property taxes rebated in the past five fiscal years, broken down by agreement type. The horizontal axis shows each of the past five fiscal years and the vertical axis shows the dollar amount rebated. For each fiscal year there is vertical column, comprised of two stacked columns, each of which representing the different agreement types. 

City of Amarillo: Number of Tax Abatements Granted Per Year 

Overview 

The chart shows the number of businesses that received a tax abatement from the City of Amarillo in the past five fiscal years. The 2020/21 and 2021/22 fiscal years each had four active abatements, 2022/23 had five, and 2023/24 and 2024/25 each had seven. 

Values 

Numerical values presented on the image: 

 

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 

Fiscal Year 2022/2023 

Fiscal Year 2023/2024 

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 

Active Abatements Per Year 

4 

4 

5 

7 

7 

Presentation 

The bar chart shows the number of businesses that received a tax abatement from the City of Amarillo in the past five fiscal years. The horizontal axis shows each of the past five fiscal years and the vertical axis shows the number of active abatements each year. Each year has one column, with the height indicating number of active abatements in that year.

Amount of Taxes Abated Per Year 

Overview 

The chart shows the dollar amounts abated over the past five fiscal years from Chapter 312 tax abatement agreements. Each fiscal year shows a larger dollar amount abated, with minor growth over the first three years, a higher increase in the fourth year, and minor growth again in the fifth year. 

Values 

Numerical values presented on the image: 

 

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 

Fiscal Year 2022/2023 

Fiscal Year 2023/2024 

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 

Taxes Abated by City of Amarillo 

$510,061 

$623,017 

$679,849 

$965,261 

$1,143,899 

Total Abated by All Entities Including City of Amarillo 

$1,569,512 

$1,926,332 

$2,103,099 

$2,884,936 

$2,959,496 

Presentation 

The bar chart represents the amount of taxes abated over the past five fiscal years. The horizontal axis shows each of the past five fiscal years and the vertical axis shows the dollar amount abated. The bar representing taxes abated by the City of Amarillo is sightly offset to the side of the bar representing the amount abated by all participating tax entities for each fiscal year. This shows that the amount abated by the City of Amarillo is a part of the total amount abated by all entities.

City of Amarillo: Taxes Rebated Per Year by Type 

Overview 

This chart shows the dollar amounts rebated by the City of Amarillo from economic development incentive agreements over the past five fiscal years. Each year is broken down by rebate type, including property tax rebates, hotel occupancy tax rebates, and sales tax rebates. Each fiscal year shows a slight increase in total dollars rebated, with a more drastic increase in the most recent fiscal year. 

Values 

Numerical values presented on the image: 

 

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 

Fiscal Year 2021/2022 

Fiscal Year 2022/2023 

Fiscal Year 2023/2024 

Fiscal Year 2024/2025 

Property Tax Rebates 

$533,080 

$547,426 

$612,334 

$630,421 

$882,363 

Hotel Occupancy Tax Rebates 

$686,747 

$753,112 

$794,828 

$871,423 

$808,348 

Sales Tax Rebates 

$0 

$21,046 

$55,528 

$45,881 

$368,716 

 

Presentation 

The bar chart represents the amount rebated by the City of Amarillo for each type of tax rebate over the past five fiscal years. The horizontal axis shows each of the past five fiscal years and the vertical axis shows the dollar amount rebated. The different rebate types are stacked vertically in each fiscal year, with the height representing the total dollar amount rebated.