Guide to Local Recovery Update: November 17

On Monday, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which comprises billions in new federal investments in the nation’s infrastructure, including more than $25 billion for California to repair roads, bridges, and highways, and more than $600 million to prepare transportation systems for extreme weather, drought, and wildfires. The details of the bill were summarized in a recent Cal Cities Advocate article. League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman also issued a statement in response to the bill’s signing.

Additionally, reservations for the 2021 Main Street Small Business Tax Credit II, which provides COVID-19 financial relief for small businesses, are currently available. Qualified small business employers may apply online to reserve $1,000 per net increase in qualified employees — up to $150,000 — to offset income, or sales and use taxes, when filing a return. Tax credits will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis through Nov. 30 or until the $116 million in available credits runs out. Business employers who apply once all credits have been exhausted will be placed on a waiting list.

Finally, with the holidays approaching and concerns about a potential surge in COVID-19 cases, state health officials are urging cities to help boost the Vaccinate ALL 58 Campaign (VA58) this week. The goal is to prepare California families for celebrating safely this winter. With the addition of boosters for adults and vaccines for children 5-11, the VA58 campaign will deploy messaging that focuses on the “whole household.” Cities can access sample posts from the state’s toolkit to incorporate into public engagements social media to promote vaccine confidence.

City officials looking for additional information about the American Rescue Plan Act and additional tools for recovery can visit the Cal Cities Guide to Local Recovery webpage.