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BLACKLICK -- The 1,308 townships in Ohio are still waiting on an answer about funds from the American Rescue Plan.
A release from the Ohio Townships Association said there has not been any response from the U.S. Treasury on whether or not the language of the bills excludes townships from direct funding from the COVID relief package.
Ohio congressmen and senators as well as state and local officials have sent letters and shown support for the townships receiving funds, the release noted.
The treasury has a 60-day distribution window for townships to be determined eligible. The bill was signed by President Joe Biden on March 11.
If the townships are not determined to be eligible for direct funding by the treasury, they can possibly receive funding from the bill indirectly through transfers from entities that are eligible, the release noted, but that would be on a voluntary basis.
The release pointed out the OTA is having discussions with leaders across the state about the possibility, but everything currently depends the treasury's determination.
"Ohio's townships and their residents need these funds in order to recover economically from the ongoing pandemic," OTA Executive Director Heidi Fought said in the release. "We're grateful for the many efforts of support shown for Ohio's townships over the past few weeks. Just like other forms of local government in Ohio, townships provide essential services to millions of Ohioans and have been hit hard by the pandemic."
According to the OTA, confusion regarding the eligibility for ARP funding was caused by language inconsistencies between versions of the bill, including a definition change in the term "non-entitlement unit of local government." The potential exclusion would affect townships in Ohio and in several other states, including North Dakota and Illinois. Ohio townships had been included in funding estimates for previous versions of the bill.