Money for local governments to utilize through the CARES Act is still out there and as soon as every penny they are applying for has been spent by September 1, they’ll have a shot at reimbursements from the state government.

The stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump back in the spring might be better known for its direct payments to taxpayers as an economic stimulus, and the $600 unemployment benefit increases that expired in late July and haven’t yet been passed for a second round by the House and Senate, but are being partially paid at $300 a week based on an Executive Order signed by the President in recent weeks.

Where the CARES Act matters for local governments is in the money they can get back via what the state received from the Federal stimulus bill in what they paid out in several areas over the past months that were unanticipated costs.

The Cedartown City Commission, Rockmart City Council and Polk County Commission all took one of the needed steps in recent days by passing resolutions that are needed as part of the application process for the funds, which will still undergo a review before being paid out after the local governments have proven that they spent out what they claimed they have on the paperwork headed to the Department of Community Affairs.

Polk School District was also able to utilize CARES Act funding as well, and the City of Aragon is likely to apply for their portion available in the first phase of money available to local entities under the bill’s provisions for distribution from the state. Which previously reported, is all together around $669,000+ of the total $2.2 million allocated for all the cities and county governments to utilize. Though the first phase will only apportion out a certain amount to each entity for their use.

Local governments and the school district have used the funds that are available but spent up front to offset the initial costs of purchasing personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies, the cost of overtime for employees incurred by COVID-19 changes in hours and duties, and more.

City Manager Bill Fann said that Cedartown is using their funding up to the Sept. 1 deadline to cover several areas in the first phase, much of that being utilized in public safety payroll expenses incurred due to the virus. He said that it was “one of the allowable expenses” that Cedartown and other local governments can claim for their Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act request.

Rockmart’s portion of the funding is going toward paying for many of the same expenses, as well as those incurred in the purchase of items that help keep the public safe.

For instance, during the Rockmart City Council meeting approving the resolution to seek CARES Act funds, City Manager Jeff Ellis pointed toward new hand sanitizer dispensers that are setup at city hall and in other facilities for both employees and the public to use when they are conducting business at city hall.

Polk County’s share is being used various ways, some of public safety expenses, plus putting up glass partitions in offices previously not available, like in the Superior Court Clerk’s office and Animal Control, as a for instance.

Assistant County Manager Connor Hooper said that the funds can be used for a broad range of items, but that any projects that local governments spent the money on must be completed before the Sept. 1 deadline.

What Phase 2 funding will look like, how it will be made available and what specific costs it will cover have not yet been provided to local governments yet.