APPLYING ARP FUNDING TO MODERNIZE YOUR GIS
As funds become available through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, many local governments are choosing to direct resources to modernizing their GIS technology and capabilities.
Counties and Cities nationwide were forced to put GIS-centric projects on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, while simultaneously the power of location technology became critical to the pandemic itself and the abilities of communities and organizations to respond effectively.
As recovery continues and ARP funding is distributed to local governments, projects that were shelved have a new opportunity for support, offering organizations a way to move forward with a modern GIS and the advantages it brings.
HOW CAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS USE ARP FUNDS?
Local and state governments can apply ARP funds to activities in a number of areas. These areas offer broad flexibility, as long as organizations can connect activities to support for the pandemic response:
- Public health and economic impacts
- COVID-19 mitigation and prevention, medical expenses and public health staffing and programs
- Responding to negative impacts on workers, small businesses, families and impacted industries, especially those disproportionately impacted, such as minority and low-income communities
- Revenue loss - providing government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced during the pandemic
- Premium pay for essential workers: additional compensation for employees of the county and other organizations in the community who have faced the greatest health risks due to their work during the pandemic.
- Water, sewer and broadband infrastructure: including access to clean drinking water, investment in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and broadband access in underserved areas.
WHERE DOES GIS FIT IN?
GIS technology underpins many functions carried out by local government, from health and human services to property assessment to emergency management. It is also critical in analyzing data and aiding local governments' understanding of the communities they serve.
GIS-centric projects that support the pandemic response in any of the target areas identified above may be eligible recipients of ARP funds.
EQUITABLE PROPERTY VALUE BUNDLE & JUMPSTART
Pro-West's Equitable Property Value Bundle & Jumpstart offers a GIS-based solution that can be readily associated with ARP funding eligibility as well as improving internal processes and citizen services, and ensuring that property taxes - essential to local government revenue - are accurate.
How Does Equitable Property Value Bundle & Jumpstart Meet ARP Funding Criteria?
Equitable Property Value (EPV) Bundle & Jumpstart helps ensure fair and equitable property appraisal for all property owners. Thus, its goal is to identify and rectify negative economic impacts resulting from inequity in appraisal in communities.
It also provides government services to help correct any lost revenue resulting from property taxes.
It does this by providing a platform to increase transparency and engagement between government and taxpayer, empowering citizens to better understand the appraisal process and find answers to their questions about property assessments, all in a single location.
What Does It Include?
EPV Bundle & Jumpstart consists of Esri software licenses paired with services from Pro-West to implement an Equitable Property Value Hub and set of GIS-based solutions that are accessed from the Hub, providing a complete Equitable Property Value solution:
- Equitable Property Value Hub (ArcGIS Hub site)
- Floodplain Inquiry Solution
- Residential Comp Finder Solution
- Tax Parcel Viewer Solution
- Property Tax Assessment Appeal Solution
- Tax Liability Calculator
How Will It Provide Value to My Organization?
EPV Bundle & Jumpstart delivers value in a number of areas:
- Support equity goals
- Aid pandemic recovery
- Increased transparency between government and taxpayers
- Improve access to accurate property information for staff and citizens
Examples
COMING SOON!
Look out for more solutions to support local governments' pandemic response and recovery, coming soon!
MEET WITH OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT GIS EXPERTS
Pro-West offers free consultations to help local government organizations determine their needs in relation to GIS support for pandemic response efforts. Send us an email by clicking on the button below.