Data: Brookings Institution; Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios
Despite lawsuits and political name-calling about how cities, counties and states are spending their COVID-19 relief funds, much of the money is going to the mundane purposes it was meant for — like paying government workers and replacing tax revenue lost during the pandemic, U.S. Treasury Department data shows.
Why it matters: Many local lawmakers are busy deciding how to spend their share of the $350 billion in emergency funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and the flame-throwing going on overhead can singe the process.
