By Michael Jacobson, Deputy Director, Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget

A new multiyear study conducted by the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy (the Institute) at The New School identified King County as a national leader in investing federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 to advance equity. King County scored in the top 20 of 170 U.S. cities and counties evaluated by the Institute’s Budget Equity Project, which examined how local governments across the U.S. are investing flexible recovery funds from ARPA to support racial and economic equity in their communities.

“I am very proud how we worked to get ARPA funds to communities most in need and address our most pressing issues, including equitable pandemic response, homelessness, and other important community priorities” said Dwight Dively, Director of the Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget.

The Institute’s ARPA Equity Assessment measured performance across six dimensions of equitable public investment: 1) overall equity focus; 2) application of equity tools and institutional infrastructure; 3) community engagement; 4) use of equitable labor practices; 5) breadth and depth of equity investments; and 6) investment transparency/accountability. The ARPA Equity Assessment of King County provides an overview of local ARPA investments and a detailed performance assessment across the key dimensions.

The top 20 performing jurisdictions (including 21 to account for a tie) are: Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Cook County, IL; Denver, CO; Fairfax County, VA; Harris County, TX; King County, WA; Los Angeles County, CA; Louisville-Jefferson County, KY; Madison, WI; Mecklenburg County, NC; Montgomery County, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Pierce County, WA; Sacramento County, CA; San Diego County, CA; Seattle, WA; Snohomish County, WA; and Washington, D.C.

The project also developed a case study around the county’s Jobs and Housing program.

The Budget Equity Project’s full findings are detailed in the new report, Advancing Equity with the American Rescue Plan’s Local Recovery Funds, and a comprehensive database including 170 city and county ARPA Equity Assessments, more than 40 case studies, additional policy briefs, and more.