OCFO: $103 million of ARPA funds remain encumbered; council seeks reallocation plan

Senior finance staff told the committee the city has largely expended its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation but that a material balance remains in ongoing contracts.

“Terry Daniels, deputy CFO, said, ‘We are 87% spent of the 826,000,000. We have about a $103,000,000 left in projects that are currently underway,’” the transcript records. Chief Deputy Regina Greer and Daniels clarified during Q&A that those dollars are tied up in contracts and can only be reallocated when projects close or when funds are released under the constraints of ARPA rules.

Councilmember Mary Waters sought assurance the council would have an opportunity to direct reallocations; Daniels said staff are “actively working on identifying dollars for reallocation and hopefully by the end of this month we should be able to identify some funding for this body to reallocate.” Waters moved to attach closing‑resolution language to line item 47 to preserve council’s role in future reallocations; the body approved the motion without recorded objection.

Why it matters: the remaining ARPA dollars are largely encumbered in multi‑year projects, limiting immediate council discretion. Administration told the committee it anticipates some projects will wrap up within 60–90 days and that any freed funds would be brought back for council action.

The committee’s action was procedural: it adopted closing resolution language giving council a pathway to reallocate funds as projects close rather than authorizing a specific transfer in the meeting record.