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U.S. Government Allocates $62.4 Million to Puerto Rican Municipalities

By on July 16, 2021

The federal government allocated $62.4 million during its first disbursement from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) to 51 smaller municipalities in Puerto Rico, according to the commonwealth government.

ARPA’s Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund assigned a total of $124 million to the 51 municipalities, which the U.S. Treasury Department has classified as “non-entitlement units of local government,” which are defined as cities, villages, towns, townships, or other types of local governments serving populations of less than 50,000. Award amounts are based on the population of these municipalities. 

The state treasury departments receive these funds from the federal government and distributes them to “non-entitlement units of local government.” The rest of the island municipalities, with  a population of over 50,000, were assigned $801.1 million in ARPA funding to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the island.

“As Gov. Pedro Pierluisi has reiterated, our government will remain committed, offering all of the resources that are necessary so that municipalities have all of the tools and knowledge to obtain these funds and distribute them in the best way, always having as the motivation their communities and the services they are offered,” said Omar J. Marrero, executive director of of the Fiscal Agency & Financial Advisory Authority (Aafaf).

Last week, Aafaf announced that 100 percent of the municipalities classified as “non-entitlement units” requested the funding, which was approved within 72 hours by the commonwealth government. 

“After these approvals, the [commonwealth] Treasury Department successfully issued the disbursements to the 51 municipalities, complying with the requirements and parameters established by the [U.S.] Treasury Department,” according to the release.

The approximately $62,424,849.50 ARPA allocation was distributed to the 51 municipalities in the following manner:

Adjuntas: $907,446.28 

Aguada: $1,915,954.23 

Aguas Buenas: $1,296,773.57

Aibonito: $1,151,586.39

Añasco: $1,371,528.63

Arroyo: $901,014.60

Barceloneta: $1,252,384.46

Barranquitas: $1,453,189.84

Camuy: $1,595,319.34

Cataño: $1,201,352.80

Ceiba: $562,929.84

Ciales: $823,360.02

Coamo: $2,025,661.75

Comerío: $977,983.84

Corozal: $1,688,947.68

Culebra: $90,676.09

Dorado: $1,902,932.72

Florida: $591,977.82

Guánica: $792,730.48

Guayanilla: $915,195.92 

Gurabo: $2,502,502.03

Hatillo: $2,063,144.72

Hormigueros: $813,079.88

Jayuya: $722,825.53

Juncos : $2,012,007.62

Lajas: $1,142,782.37

Lares: $1,250,644.75

Las Marías: $407,515.23

Las Piedras: $1,952,857.29

Loíza: $1,273,366.49

Luquillo: $922,312.94

Maricao: $284,048.13

Maunabo: $539,206.44

Moca: $1,823,907.45

Morovis: $1,599,484.11

Naguabo: $1,363,199.09

Naranjito: $1,431,786.06

Orocovis: $1,056,376.49

Patillas: $845,343.70

Peñuelas: $992,534.19

Quebradillas: $1,198,400.56

Rincón: $714,917.74

Sabana Grande: $1,131,078.83

Salinas: $1,420,504.27

San Lorenzo: $1,880,316.41

Santa Isabel: $1,113,734.39

Utuado: $1,424,141.86

Vega Alta: $1,890,649.27

Vieques: $439,251.87

Villalba: $1,111,414.77

Yabucoa: $1,682,568.72 

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