The administration is finalizing an RFP (request for proposal) to conduct a city-wide poll on proposals as to how best use $42.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The RFP will come before the City Council for consideration on Jan. 24.

funds to pay for a professional polling company to come in and poll the city on how citizens would like to see the ARPA money spent.

The administration believes it’s important to have the local citizens’ input on how the ARPA money should be spent; a polling company would help the City corral the community’s vast ideas.

If the request is granted, a professional polling company (that will be selected through a bidding process) will draft questions for the public to respond to and reach out to the Cranston community. While the polling company may have a particular outreach method, the most common polling is done through phone calls.

The cost for the polling company will remain unknown until the bids come in, but for reference, Chief of Staff Tony Moretti said political polls usually cost somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000.

If the City Council passes this request, the administration hopes to have the polls completed by the end of February. Moretti said this timing ties in nicely with the two public workshops that will occur at two town council meetings – one in late-January and the other in early-February. These public workshops allow people to voice their opinions on how they believe the ARPA should be spent.

Moretti says the poll will be helpful for those who may not always come forward with their thoughts or may be shy. Additionally, a polling system could help for those who are not able to make it to the council meetings because of their length and time. Overall, the administration is excited to hear from families within the Cranston community.