Gilmer County has received a portion of the funds it is eligible for from the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in March.
And now, the county is taking a wait-and-see attitude toward spending the money.
“In my mind, it is very confusing,” said Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris. “Their terms are very general.”
Some of the items the money can be spent on are very clear. Paris said the money can be used to make up for revenue losses and direct losses to the county due to COVID-19. (See box for list of uses.)
“But, those things don’t apply to us,” Paris said.
Something the county is considering is updating and upgrading the ventilation systems in the courthouse and the detention center.
“We’re pretty sure we can justify it,” Paris said.
A possible ambulance purchase and some reimbursements for EMTs and paramedics are also being considered. Paris said every call they have to suit up in case of COVID-19.
“We just can’t get ourselves in a situation where we spend a lot of money that doesn’t get approved,” he said.
Right now he and staff are watching emails from the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia about how other counties are using the funds.
“We’re one of 159 counties that got money,” he said. “My idea is to lay back and see what other counties get approved.”
Initially, Gilmer County received $3,046,530. In 12 months another pot of money will be distributed, he said.
“It is one of those deals where they give us half up front,” Paris said.
Time is built into the program. Funds don’t have to be obligated until 2024, and they don’t have to be spent until 2025, he said.
Use of funds
The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments with a substantial infusion of resources to meet pandemic response needs and rebuild a stronger, and more equitable economy as the country recovers. Recipients may use these funds to:
- Support public health expenditures, by, for example, funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral health care, and certain public health and safety staff
- Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector
- Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic
- Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors
- Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet
Within these overall categories, recipients have broad flexibility to decide how best to use this funding to meet the needs of their communities.
— U.S. Department of the Treasury website