News Brief | Nygren makes steady progress to spend $2.8 billion in American Rescue Plan Act dollars

WINDOW ROCK – President Buu Nygren is confident his executive branch directors will encumber all $2.8 billion in ARPA funds within the next nine months.

Navajo Nation division directors gathered in the Window Rock Airport Hangar, where a 40-foot dry-erase board can use diagrams to describe the plans visually.
The Navajo Nation was allocated over $2 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding, better known as ARPA.

This provided an unprecedented opportunity to invest in infrastructure, healthcare, economic development, and projects across the 27,000-square-mile Diné Bikéyah.
Since the money was allocated to the Navajo Nation, Nygren and his cabinet have worked to ensure the complete expenditure of approved ARPA Navajo Nation Fiscal Recovery Fun projects.

The Navajo Nation Fiscal Recovery Funds can be used only for COVID-19-related public health emergencies and negative economic impacts.

The president emphasized the importance of using the funds strategically and efficiently to make the most significant long-term positive impacts on the Navajo people.
As of Sept. 15, the Navajo Nation has obligated or expended more than $1 billion of the $2.8 billion funding allocated.

Tom Platero, Navajo Nation Fiscal Recovery Fund executive director, said the Nation was working collaboratively on solutions to ensure NNFRF projects are on track to meet the December 2024 completion deadline.
He said it is through initiatives like this that the Nation will achieve its goal of spending all its ARPA and NNFRF funds by the deadline.

Budget & Finance Committee Chairwoman Shaandiin Parrish said her committee receives updates from Platero’s office twice a month.

She said hearing of the expenditure reporting rate helps her as a legislator, and, where possible, legislative changes might need to happen if they become necessary.
The tribal division directors from transportation, economic development, health care, and education presented initial proposals and recommendations to Nygren on best allocating ARPA funds within their departments.

These included expanding broadband internet access, upgrading roads and bridges, developing business parks, renovating hospitals and clinics, and building new schools.

The president directed the divisions to refine their plans further and work together on inter-connected priorities.

The goal of the meeting was to provide updates on how much of the ARPA funding has been saddled and what has not.

The Navajo Nation has over nine months to encumber the ARPA/NNFRF funds.

Nygren commits to Diné College, NTU, to receive all pandemic-era funding despite shortfall by Nation

 

WINDOW ROCK – President Buu Nygren is ensuring both Diné College and Navajo Technical University will receive all the funding the Navajo Nation has promised them.

Diné College and NTU have operated on a shortfall because of not receiving their total appropriation from the Navajo Nation since 2021.

On Thursday, Nygren told Diné College President Charles Roessel and NTU President Elmer Guy that he would commit to signing new legislation to correct a pandemic-era deficit for the two schools.

The funding is part of the annual budget process for the Diné Higher Education Grant Fund, a trust fund established by the Navajo Nation.

“If this legislation comes before me, I will be happy to sign it,” the president said.

In October 2020, the Navajo Nation Council passed a continuing resolution for government funding, but it was not fully implemented. To cover the deficit, the schools had to move funding to cover costs and were flagged by their auditors.

NTU receives $4.2 million, and Diné College gets $4.7 million in educational funding from the Navajo Nation.

Diné College is facing a $3.2 million shortfall, and NTU is facing a shortage of $2 million.

Both schools have construction projects at a standstill because of the gap in funding, the two presidents told Nygren.

Diné College and NTU educate thousands of Navajo students each year. Diné College had 1,552 enrolled students for the 2022-23 academic year. NTU had 1,354 students for the same period.

The college presidents expressed additional concern about a looming federal shutdown that may further set these schools back.

Nygren expects to see legislation at a special session.

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