Greene County to distribute $57M in federal funds

Greene County was selected to distribute $57 million in federal stimulus funds through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The county on May 19 received the first deposit of $28.5 million, according to a news release. The second allocation is slated to arrive next year.

County officials say they are working on a plan to distribute the funds.

“We understand there are a lot of questions related to these funds and we ask the community for their patience as we await the final guidelines from the U.S. Treasury and work to implement program details at the county level,” Presiding Commissioner Bob Dixon said in the release. “We also recognize that ARP is going to require a marathon approach versus a sprint approach to distribute these funds into our community in the manner they were intended.”

ARP funds can cover costs through the end of 2024. Qualifying uses include COVID-19 mitigation efforts, public health responses to the virus, replacement of public-sector revenue losses and negative economic impacts, pay for essential workers and broadband infrastructure.  

The county is scheduling outreach and informational meetings with area municipalities to maximize the use of the funds, according to the release.  

The county previously distributed $34.4 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds to such groups as small businesses, health care organizations and public entities. 

That process entailed the hiring of Lyle Foster as the county's CARES Act grants administrator, as well as the creation of a 30-member CARES Act Citizens Advisory Committee, according to past reporting.