Part 4 of our ARPA series examines how 2023 spending continued patterns of vehicle purchases, emergency declarations, and missing documentation — with little evidence of a coherent recovery plan.

ARPA was meant to support recovery. In 2022, Mount Vernon instead spent millions on vehicles, with little reaching the people the program was designed to help.

Mount Vernon’s first year of ARPA spending set the tone: millions spent, little documentation, and early warning signs that still matter today.

ARPA was meant to help cities recover from COVID. In Mount Vernon, $41 million arrived — but missing reports and weak controls tell a troubling story.