Snohomish County seeks input on spending American Rescue Plan dollars

EVERETT — Snohomish County is seeking input from residents on how it should spend more federal COVID recovery money.

An in-person meeting will be held in each of the county’s five districts for locals to weigh in, meet with elected officials and vote on their “recovery investment priorities.”

In total, the county was dealt $160 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Much of the first $80 million installment has already been doled out for things like housing, business support and childcare and workforce programs. The county expects to receive the second installment in the next month or so.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Snohomish County communities have come together to do what’s best for all of us: We’ve gotten vaccinated, tested, and rallied around our front-line workers and small businesses,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said in a news release. “Our collective recovery should be no different — we have to do it together.”

The county’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency has already convened several advisory groups to guide its pandemic spending, including ones representing economic groups, human and community service leaders, BIPOC organizations, faith leaders, and housing and arts groups.

“Hearing directly from people in our community about ways that the pandemic has impacted them, and then centering their stories and perspectives into our county’s recovery, will put the county’s best foot forward as we recover from a tumultuous past two years,” County Council Chair Megan Dunn said.

The free events will include child care and dinner.

Locals can RSVP and find more information at snohomishcountywa.gov/recovery.

Here are the scheduled events:

• District one: 6 p.m. June 23, Byrnes Performing Arts Center in Arlington. This event is for Arlington, Darrington, Granite Falls, Marysville, Stanwood and the Sauk-Suiattle and Stillaguamish tribes.

• District two: 6 p.m. June 15, 3000 Rockefeller Ave, Everett, public meeting room 1. This event is for Everett, Mukilteo and the Tulalip Tribes.

• District three: 6 p.m. June 2, Lynnwood Sno-Isle Library. This event is for Edmonds, Lynnwood and Woodway.

• District four: 6 p.m. May 25, Mountlake Terrace City Hall. This event is for Bothell, Brier, Mill Creek and Mountlake Terrace.

• District five: 6 p.m. June 9, Evergreen State Fair Park, 4H building #501. This event is for Gold Bar, Index, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish and Sultan.