Rep. Bishop: Suffolk County Scores Top Stimulus Dollars

11/03/09 -- Washington, DC -- Today Congressman Tim Bishop announced that Suffolk County was the top recipient of federal recovery funding outside of New York City in the latest round of stimulus funding reports by the state. Out of the $18 billion distributed statewide, Suffolk County received $1,110,135. The next highest county, Nassau, received $631 million.

“The Recovery Act has brought over one billion dollars to Suffolk County so far and is already benefitting our schools, creating jobs and improving our roads and infrastructure, while protecting local taxpayers from painful property tax increases,” said Bishop. “I have been working with local officials for months to make sure they understand how federal recovery dollars are being distributed and to help them secure as much aid as possible. I will continue fighting hard to make sure we receive the recovery funding we need to get our economy back on track.”

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The funding report from the office of Governor David A. Paterson includes American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) spending that is administered by New York State as well as spending that flows directly from federal agencies to local governments, institutions and individuals. The report is based on information that the State has been able to capture to date and covers programs for which actual distribution is known or can be estimated. For example, while the Recovery Act provides education aid for two years, this database only reflects spending for the current school year. As certain ARRA funds are still being awarded and distributed, this report will be updated periodically to reflect new awards.

According to the Governor’s office, $7 billion of the statewide funding has already started to have a substantial impact on the State’s economy by reducing the need for budget cuts by county governments and school districts. That includes $2.7 billion for Medicaid and $2.9 billion in education spending distributed so far. Spending for education includes $1.2 billion for increased Title 1 funding for disadvantaged schools and $821 million for IDEA special education funding. Most of these funds are spread out over two years.

According to the report, Suffolk County has received $118,783,000 for transportation projects to improve local roads and highways while creating jobs and economic activity in the region. A total of $208,148,000 was directed to help fill projected education funding shortfalls affecting the County.

A list of the total $18 billion in ARRA funds designated for counties in New York thus far is available at: http://www.recovery.ny.gov/assets/documents/County_Stimulus_Data_Posting.... The county analysis is available at: http://www.recovery.ny.gov/assets/documents/County_Analysis_Posting_1029.... The New York Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet’s most current report to the Governor is available at: http://www.recovery.ny.gov/assets/pdf/StimulusCabinetRptv4ARRA.pdf.

Note: Additional recovery programs, such as the one-time supplemental checks for Social Security recipients, are not included in the County totals.

Source: Congressman Tim Bishop