HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — In the last month, the government of Guam spent $13.9 million in American Rescue Plan Act monies, bringing total expenditures to about $153 million with an additional $6.5 million in encumbrances.
That one-month spending was by or for the Guam Solid Waste Authority, Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, the Judiciary, credit card fees and the Guam Economic Development Authority, among other agencies.
This leaves about $419.1 million, or 72%, still available for use, based on the Bureau of Budget and Management Research’s report to senators on the status of ARPA fund allocation and spending.
The recent expenditures bring the total allocated funds to over $578.7 million.
Far from what’s expected
Sen. Telo Taitague on Tuesday night said the latest report “is far from what senators and American taxpayers should expect from the administration as a detailed ARPA spending plan.
The report simply shows allocation of money to agencies “without giving any explanation on how the funds would be used to address the impacts of Covid-19,” she said.
“Our tourism industry remains closed and major federal spending in the future appears unlikely considering the inability of Congress to resolve differences among senators on the Build Back Better legislation,” Taitague said, adding that Guam’s share of ARPA funding should be used with a clear plan in place to help improve the quality of life for all families.
To the extent possible, she said, funds must be reserved for workforce education and training programs, development or expansion of viable industries, strengthening of the Guam product, and other priorities that’ll help the community move past these two challenging years.
“Where is the transparency, as the administration touts from time to time, in the use of ARPA funds?” Taitague asked.
The governor’s office has said these numbers are flexible, and the allocations serve as a framework for the administration’s investments in health care and economic recovery, among other things.
Some allocated amounts for specific purposes have changed.
For example, the governor’s allocated ARPA funding for quarantine facilities as of Dec. 31 was $27.805 million-plus but this changed to about $27.6 million a month later.
That $200,000 was moved to the Covid-19 bereavement grant funding, bringing the latest amount to $1.25 million.
Guam continues to see additional Covid-19-related deaths. The death toll was at 299 as of Tuesday night.
Moreover, the $8.8 million allocated to the Mayors Council of Guam is only the first half of the governor’s total $17.6 million ARPA promised allocation for the 19 villages to clean up, beautify, offset prior budget shortfalls and buy heavy equipment and vehicles, among other things.
Of the amount released to mayors, $210,217 has so far been spent to pay accrued Covid-19 differential pay for most mayors and their staff.
Untouched
The $182 million allocated for a new hospital has remained untouched. The estimated cost of building a new hospital is $1 billion.
Public assistance programs such as the All RISE Act cash aid, payment for Covid-19 quarantine and isolation facilities, assistance for small businesses and water and power rate offsets, cost $171.455 million, based on ARPA fund allocations.
The 2022 budget law requires the monthly reporting of ARPA fund allocations.
