“The conversation was on building a better Ohio,” Lieberman said.
They met with officials such as U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, White House Director of Public Engagement Keisha Lance Bottoms and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, director of intergovernmental affairs.
Lieberman said areas of particular focus included how communities are taking different approaches in spending ARPA money, how federal aid has helped keep people in their homes, and the importance of infrastructure investments, childcare assistance and mental health resources.
“They wanted to hear what’s working, so we told them,” Lieberman said.
Montgomery County received $103.3 million in ARPA funds and is using most of it on county services such as employee payroll and renovating county facilities. It is also spending about $11 million supporting area nonprofits.
Dayton received $138 million in ARPA funds, which it is using for neighborhood improvements such as tearing down nuisance properties, building and repairing homes, improving sidewalks and parks, supporting Black-owned businesses and a new joint police/fire station. The city also set aside $36 million to replace revenue lost during the pandemic and maintain city services.
“Today at the White House I spoke with senior Biden-Harris administration officials about how Dayton is using American Rescue Plan funds to improve the overall quality of life for our residents,” Mims said. “I’m thankful for the continued support this administration has given to local communities like Dayton.”
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Paduchik criticized Wednesday’s event.
“Instead of a photo-op at the White House, Ohio’s Democrat mayors should hold Joe Biden and Tim Ryan accountable for skyrocketing crime in cities across the United States, the increase in dangerous drugs due to his open-border policies, and rising costs that are crushing Ohio families because of reckless spending,” Paduchik said.
The White House visit featured a panel discussion including American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, Franklin County Commission President Erica Crawley, and nonprofit and labor leaders.
“Put simply, had it not been for ARP, Cincinnati would have failed,” Pureval said. “We would have failed to be able to provide the basic services, police, fire, sanitation, snow removal, for our citizens. We were staring into the abyss.”
Pureval and Crawley talked about how ARPA also is helping them invest in workforce development — especially for minority-owned business — as well as green technology and high-tech manufacturing.
Crawley said Franklin County invested in programs to pay for people to get trained in skilled trades, get women into the workforce, help cover childcare costs, and support small business.
“That is what Franklin County is doing to support our workforce with a focus on equity,” she said.
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