Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien and City Administrator Deanna McCusker heard from over 30 people Wednesday night requesting the city to use some of its federal COVID relief funds for $1,400 checks to residents who didn’t receive federal stimulus aid during the pandemic.
Escucha Mi Voz Washington is one of several groups in southeast Iowa that have requested city and county governments to give premium pay to essential and excluded workers with their allocated American Rescue Plan Act funds. This has been stipulated as an acceptable use of ARPA funds, and the Washington group gave their request to the county board of supervisors earlier this week. Several residents shared to Rosien and McCusker how they have had to work essential food supply jobs despite being sick during the pandemic, and though they didn’t receive stimulus checks like their neighbors they still have to pay utility and medical bills and taxes.
Washington resident Craig Davis reflected on his previous time spent on the Washington City Council, describing how the council’s creation of a city administrator position at that time and for a town of its size was bold, “I’d like to see Washington be one of the first towns in the state to take a bold step and say, ‘Yes, we have infrastructure needs, yes that money would be really important.’ But I think more importantly I think it’s vital that we invest in human beings and provide direct payment to the excluded workers and I think that would really set Washington apart and make us unique.”
The group repeatedly asked Rosien if he supports their request, regardless of his inability to vote on the matter. Rosien shared that he will present the request to the council to make a decision, but he will remain neutral, “Other community members don’t want to see the money used in this way, everyone in this room does, but others outside this room do not. It’s not easy.”
Rosien commented that he did not support their specific request of $1,400 checks, questioning the administration of a fund and a lack of available ARPA funds. Escucha Mi Voz Washington member David Goodner clarified that they are asking the city to give checks to the city’s 140 excluded workers for a total of around $200,000, based on U.S. Census data. The city has around $300,000 unspent of the near $1.08 million they’ve received. Below is a letter sent to the board of supervisors, and correspondence between Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green and the U.S. Treasury discussing use of ARPA funds.