Passed by the Washtenaw County Democratic Party Executive Board on 7/18/2023.  Download a PDF of the resolution.

RESOLUTION: Washtenaw County Democratic Party Executive Board condemns Ypsilanti Charter Township Board’s lack of transparency in allocation of ARPA funding and urges immediate revision of allocation plan to address the needs of the most affected communities

WHEREAS the Washtenaw County Board of Health passed a resolution June 30, 2020 explicitly declaring racism as a public health crisis and confirming our collective commitment to health equity in Washtenaw County;

WHEREAS President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021  on March 11,2021 and Ypsilanti Township was awarded State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the amount of  $9,439,025;

WHEREAS the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees stated in a December 2021 memo that it is “committed to continue with engagement through the process when considering ARPA allocations.” And that “Further community engagement is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022 in a variety of ways in order to reach the greatest number of residents. This will include both physical and electronic engagement.”;

WHEREAS YpsiNICE (formerly named the YTown ARPA Committee) urged Ypsilanti Township elected officials on March 16,2022 to continue partnerships with YpsiNICE and other community groups as they considered investments and expenditures using ARPA funds;

WHEREAS at the meeting mentioned above on March 16, 2022 of YpsiNICE representatives and Trustees, a “resolution to address the needs of residents who live in the Qualified Census Tracts (QCTS) of Ypsilanti Township with American Rescue Plan Funds” was submitted, with letters of support from the Washtenaw County Democratic Party and other community organizations by YpsiNICE to the Township Trustees;

WHEREAS on April 28, 2022, the Washtenaw County Democratic Party Executive Board passed a resolution of support for the community group YTown ARPA Committee and urging Ypsilanti Township elected officials to continue partnerships with YTown ARPA Committee and other community groups as they consider investments and expenditures using ARPA funds;

WHEREAS WEMU reported on May 31, 2023, that community groups in Ypsilanti Township were raising concerns over the way the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees allocated their ARPA dollars.

WHEREAS the actions of the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees are counter to the values of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party, and contradict the Best Practices Guide issued by the US Department of Treasury for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds where ARPA funds originate[i];

WHEREAS the public-facing Ypsilanti Township website as of July 1, 2023 does not supply information about their ARPA funding allocation. When searching “ARPA funding” all four links to articles provided, redirect back to the opening page leaving a continuous loop of no transparency,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Washtenaw County Democratic Party Executive Board  condemns the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees for failing to transparently engage the community they represent; to recognize efforts in community engagement by YpsiNICE members; to operate a transparent reporting system; to address the urgent needs of the most impacted communities; to support community-led efforts to ensure that American Rescue Plan funds are used for programs suggested; and for co-opting the name YTown ARPA Committee that was formerly used by a local group to organize for use of ARPA plan funding, forcing the group to rename themselves YpsiNICE;

 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Washtenaw County Democratic Party Executive Board calls on the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees to immediately revise its allocation plan and to address the needs of the most affected communities, prioritizing sustainable youth programming and neighborhood-specific infrastructure to house it;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Washtenaw County Democratic Party Executive Board  insists that all residents deserve transparency in reporting ARPA fund allocations, including working links on the Township website, and documentation of Ypsilanti Township community engagement efforts and YpsiNICE efforts, including presentation dates made to Ypsilanti Township Trustees surrounding ARPA requests, and findings of community engagement sessions held by YpsiNICE.

 [i] https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SLFRF-Best-Practices  Guide.pdf?fbclid=IwAR34dhC0IHaojI3RLme6wMzfkDPqz7U6QUXENMq-3W7LqIataxUbgo9Nz0Y

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