CARES funding clears a million

Jay County has received more than half a million dollars to cover coronavirus-related expenses. Its municipalities also have received extra funds for the same purpose.

In total, the county and its municipalities have received or are expected to receive just over $1 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding.

The county got about $6,000 total in two separate August disbursements from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, a $150 billion fund created by CARES Act. The county received another disbursement Oct. 26 for nearly $668,000.

“I believe it’ll help us make it through the uncertain future,” Jay County auditor Anna Culy said.

The county’s municipalities also have already received or are expecting to receive funds separate from the county’s disbursement, including: Portland for $197,420; Dunkirk for $74,263; Redkey for $42,274; Bryant for $8,013; and Salamonia for $4,963. Pennville is in the process of putting its claims together.

At the beginning of September, the U.S. Treasury added new sections to its relief fund guide for state, territorial, local and tribal governments. Indiana adopted those changes in October.

Previously, recipients could not use funds for items accounted in the budget before March 27, when the CARES Act was signed into law. In September, the treasury added an exception for recipients to use funds for expenses — such as government employee payrolls and benefits — that have had a “substantially different use” than originally intended.

As stated in the fund guide, categories include public safety, public health, health care, human services and similar employees “whose services are substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency.”

The fund guide doesn’t specify what is defined as “substantially dedicated,” meaning local government can decide the specifications within reason.

In Jay County and its municipalities, the majority of payrolls covered by these funds will be first responders (police, firemen, emergency management service workers) and public health employees.

Other uses for the funds are up for debate.

Some communities don’t employ government workers that qualify, so that funding will need to go elsewhere, Jay County community development director Ami Huffman said. Finding use for the funding takes time, she added.

“Dunkirk couldn’t spend $74,000 on (personal protective equipment) and hand sanitizer,” said Huffman, who helped the communities apply for the available funding. “We needed time to think of all the ways that coronavirus is affecting our communities so that we could go about it in an educated way on what things help mitigate it.”

Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins said the city council still has to decide where funding will go. It is a large chunk compared to Dunkirk’s annual budget.

“Most of the time, if you have extra money, it’s already (going) someplace,” he said. “We just don’t have big sums of money laying around like that.”

While Pennville has yet to file a claim, the town is looking into improving safety around the park building, Huffman noted. It could include additions such as touch-less water fountains.

Culy said she doesn’t have a definite amount — as it will be a decision made by the commissioners and county council — but it’s possible about $300,000 of the money awarded to the county will go back into the Rainy Day fund. Jay County pulled from the fund earlier this year to cover COVID-19 expenses.

Both Culy and Huffman recognized the coming years may be difficult because of the economic impact caused by the coronavirus. They said the extra fund allotments will help to provide some cushion for local communities.

“I think with the uncertainty ahead that it provides a little bit of peace of mind to fall back on,” Huffman said.