Acting finance commissioner promises ARP accounting; council seeks faster reimbursements for nonprofit grantees

The finance committee pressed the administration about American Rescue Plan (ARP) grants to nonprofits, asking for a clear accounting of awards, amounts disbursed, remaining balances and whether the city can change contract terms to speed reimbursements.

Acting Commissioner Raymore Nosworthy told the committee his office has located executed contracts and is assembling a comprehensive document accounting for active, encumbered contracts and the pipeline of payments. "We have uncovered all executed contracts ... and are currently creating a very comprehensive document and accounting of all the contracts that are still active and currently encumbered and will be paid out," he said.

Council members repeatedly urged faster payouts to nonprofits that have submitted receipts and argued some organizations need funds up-front rather than being reimbursed. Several members asked whether contract amendments could allow the city to provide additional installments in advance. Nosworthy said the administration would investigate whether changing contract terms would comply with Treasury rules and report back, but warned that Treasury requirements complicate amending executed contracts.

Council members also pressed for a clear timeline to avoid another last-minute scramble to spend ARP funds before federal deadlines. Nosworthy said his goal was to have a large portion of the money spent by early fall 2026 and to avoid a repeat of the prior "last-minute" spend down. He said some recipient documentation (insurance, etc.) was still outstanding and is slowing payment but pledged to meet the committee's reporting schedule and to notify members in advance if problems emerge.

The committee tabled the ARP-update item for two weeks to allow the administration to provide the accounting and for the committee to review possible contract amendments, reporting practices and a spend-down timeline.