Some $5.35 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds were used for fire and police payroll, documents show.

More than half of the city of Dunkirk’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding was spent on police and fire salaries, data shared with the OBSERVER revealed this week.

The city spent $10,619,589 in ARPA funds from 2021-23. ARPA was approved by Congress as a massive, one-time shot of federal funding for municipalities across the country, which had their revenue seriously impacted by the COVID-19 shutdowns of 2020.

Dunkirk transferred $1,500,000 in ARPA funds to the police department payroll on two occasions — Dec. 31, 2021, and July 21, 2022. Another transfer of $1,100,000 went to the police pay line on Jan 1, 2023.

The fire department got a single infusion of ARPA money to fund payroll. That was for $1,250,000 and happened Sept. 28, 2022.

That’s a total of $5,350,000 to help pay police and fire salary — just over half of the city’s ARPA spending.

A little more ARPA money was spent on paying people. The Common Council approved $299,999 in extra money for city employees who worked during COVID-19 distancing protocols. A relatively small amount of ARPA funding, $7,461, went towards an intern for the Planning and Development Department.

Most of the ARPA funding that did not go towards salary was spent on equipment, largely for the Department of Public Works. DPW got new pickup and garbage trucks, and work was done at the wastewater plant, with ARPA funding.

The police and fire departments also got funding for new vehicles, including a boat.

Significant ARPA money was also spent on a Route 5 waterline project.

In addition, Common Council members approved $300,000 in November 2021 in ARPA funding for bonuses that went to staff as well as elected officials.

Elliott Raimondo, a lawyer under contract to the city, shared the ARPA data with the OBSERVER.