Brief

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield moved to establish oversight of Los Angeles' State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) allocations from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The motion directs the City Administrative Officer to provide regular status reports on programs and expenditures funded by this federal emergency relief. Council adopted the motion 11-0-4 on March 24, 2023. The file remains open with periodic CAO updates, most recently in September 2026.

Full summary

The file concerns how Los Angeles manages and reports on the roughly $1.278 billion in federal COVID-19 relief it received under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. The City used those funds for a broad range of programs including small business and restaurant assistance, Jobs and Economic Development Incentive Zone programs, tourism and hospitality support, preschool childcare, park improvements, and emergency senior meals. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield's February 2023 motion, seconded by John S. Lee, Traci Park, and Nithya Raman, directed the City Administrative Officer to report on the status of each SLFRF-funded program, identify any anticipated savings or unspent funds, and explain the process for reprogramming leftover money toward additional pandemic response efforts in compliance with federal rules. The Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee approved the motion on March 13, 2023, and Council adopted it 11-0-4 on March 24, 2023. The most recent substantive development came in a September 2026 CAO report focused on closing out the grant before the federal December 31, 2026 expenditure deadline. As of June 30, 2026, the City had spent $1.275 billion of the $1.278 billion total, leaving a small remainder to be deployed. The CAO, working with the Community Investment Department, the Bureau of Street Lighting, and consultant KPMG, identified $96,219.45 in project cost savings across several programs including the JEDI Zone Business Assistance Program, the LA Optimized Program, and the Community Connectivity Infrastructure Pilot. The report recommends reallocating those savings to cover eligible personnel costs for administrative staff at the Community Investment Department and Bureau of Street Lighting who have supported ARPA programs through the end of 2026, consistent with federal Treasury guidance. The CAO also identified $28,622.86 in leftover funds from the Restaurant and Small Business Recovery Program whose disbursements and reconciliations are complete. Because those funds were never formally committed to a federal reporting category, they can be returned to the City's Reserve Fund without affecting federal compliance. The September 2026 report was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee and remains pending there. The file stays open through September 2028.

Activity (8)

• 2026-09-16 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
• 2026-09-15 Document submitted by City Administrative Officer, dated September 15, 2026.
• 2023-03-24 Council action final.
• 2023-03-24 Council adopted item forthwith.
• 2023-03-21 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on March 24, 2023.
• 2023-03-13 Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee approved item(s) .
• 2023-03-10 Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 13, 2023.
• 2023-02-24 Motion referred to Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee.

Documents (6)

• 2026-09-15 Report from City Administrative Officer · report
• 2023-03-24 Council Action · council_action
• 2023-03-24 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2023-03-16 Communication(s) from Public · communication
• 2023-03-13 Report from Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee · report
• 2023-02-24 Motion · motion

Council votes (1)

• 2023-03-24 Adopted Forthwith — 11-0-4 · Regular