The American Rescue Plan brought historic investments to communities across the country. For communities such as Douglas, Arizona, the influx of federal funding helped get long-awaited projects off the ground.
Douglas, Arizona, sits along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Douglas Port of Entry is important to the economy of the entire country, as hundreds of millions of dollars in trade flow through it each year. As the county supervisor for the past 20 years, Ann English has seen the Douglas port grow increasingly congested. The congestion causes hourslong wait times, and the transportation of extra-large cargo and hazardous materials poses a health and safety risk to the surrounding communities. To relieve congestion and expand trade, Cochise County, which includes Douglas, hoped for decades to add a second port dedicated to commercial trade. But its small tax base could not fund a project of such scale. The only way to get funding was through investments from the state and federal government—and the American Rescue Plan finally delivered some of the necessary funding. Douglas has begun planning the much-needed project: In combination with investments from the state and the General Services Administration, Cochise County has dedicated $5 million to planning the infrastructure that will support the port. Once completed, the port will bring more economic opportunities to Douglas, while expanding the trade that supports the rest of the country.
Without federal money, the port expansion wouldn't have happened because we don't have a strong tax base. When the second port is completed, we expect it to attract more business that will support the port and trade activities. This will bring economic benefits for our residents for decades to come.
Ann English
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Ann English pictured in front of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors office in 2015. (Photo credit: Ann English)
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