MEMPHIS, Tenn.– The Memphis City Council is deciding how it plans to spend $2.8M in interest revenue from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.

Mayor Paul Young wants the money to go towards non-profit organizations and policing improvements in Memphis, while some council members have other ideas in mind.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan helped provide funding for families, businesses and local and state governments during the pandemic.

When money was given to Memphis, city leaders held the funds in escrow, and it generated $2.8M in interest revenue.

At Tuesday’s Memphis City Council meeting, Mayor Paul Young told council members what he wants the money to go towards.

“$750K for Boys and Girls Club of Memphis, you all probably remember when there was an announcement that a number of their after-school programs had to go away,” he said.

Mayor Young says that money will help restore and invest in after-school programs.

Additionally, he wants $750K to go towards Alliance Healthcare, $400K for PURE Academy investments and $900K for the ‘Integrity in Policing’ Act.

The Mayor says the plan to allocate funding for policing stems from the Department of Justice’s investigation into the Memphis Police Department, following the deadly police beating of Tyre Nichols.

Although the DOJ’s report and its findings have been retracted, Mayor Young says he wants to uphold the city’s promise to create a police task force.

The Mayor’s funding proposal was hit with pushback from Councilwoman Rhonda Logan, who says she’d like to see that money go towards blight remediation in Memphis.

“This would go towards potholes, as we’ve talked about. Our existing sidewalk assistance fund, tree removal, and three additional convenient centers that we voted on, as well as installation of speed humps, and these are throughout all of our districts,” Logan said.

Councilwomen Jerri Green and Yolanda Cooper-Sutton also said there should be a better explanation of the money, spending plans and the ‘Integrity in Policing’ Act.

In two weeks, the Memphis City Council plans to further discuss how the city should spend money from the American Rescue Plan Act.

WREG will keep you updated on this story.

For more information about the American Rescue Plan Act’s spending in 2021 click the link: https://data.memphistn.gov/stories/s/ARPA-Funding/te6b-df6b