JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Local governments across the U.S. have turned down a potential total of $73 million in federal pandemic relief funds. An Associated Press analysis found that 1,468 smaller cities, towns, villages and counties effectively said “no” to their share of the American Rescue Plan. Some local officials told the AP they had no need for the money. Others said they didn’t want the hassle of dealing with the federal government. Some expressed political opposition to the relief package enacted last year by the Democratic-led Congress and President Joe Biden. The rejected money amounts to a small percentage of the $350 billion of government aid.
