On February 14, the U.S. Department of Treasury notified all State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds grantees that the contact center many small and rural cities, towns and villages rely on for guidance will re-open on February 21, 2023. The contact center previously shut down in October 2022.
This is a huge win for all cities, towns and villages. The process for filing an annual report, required of more than 26,000 SLFRF grantees, can be complicated and overwhelming to municipal staff unfamiliar with federal filings.
The contact centers helped thousands of municipalities get answers to questions and file their required filings with the Treasury last year. Without the help and assistance of the Treasury, many municipalities may not have made it across the filing finish line.
In October 2022, the Treasury ran out of funds to keep the contact centers staffed. NLC went on the offensive for municipalities, activating grassroots outreach to members of Congress and speaking with key Congressional staff about the need for this funding to be reestablished. We shared stories of the challenges cities, towns and villages faced when filing with Treasury and how the contact center provided answers to simple and complex questions.
The funding to reopen the contact centers was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, also known as the omnibus bill. The contact centers will reopen for operations on February 21, ahead of the next reporting deadline for non-entitlement units of local government in April.
While Treasury will have staff dedicated to answer questions and resolving problems, Treasury still recommends grantees for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program continue to use Self-Service Resources as a first resource. Municipalities needing assistance from Treasury for SLFRF program related questions can contact email SLFRF@treasury.gov or call (844) 529-9527.
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