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The Greene County Commission now has approved $34.4 million in federal stimulus funds.
SBJ file photo
The Greene County Commission now has approved $34.4 million in federal stimulus funds.

Greene County issues last of CARES Act funds

Posted online

The Greene County Commission met its year-end deadline to allocate $34.4 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds.

The final allocation, announced yesterday, included $1.5 million for the county and its partner agencies for COVID-19 expenses including personal protective equipment, technology and vaccine distribution, according to a news release. Additionally, Innovations Salon was selected for a $1,120 grant to cover business interruption.

The funding earmarked for the county is the last of a reserve set up for emergencies or other needs. County spokesperson Donna Barton last week told Springfield Business Journal that roughly $2 million of the approximately $3.6 million in reserves had been accounted for and that the remaining balance would be announced this week.

“We are very pleased to have these funds allocated by the federal deadline,” said Lyle Foster, who’s served as the county's CARES Act grants administrator, in the release. “It has been a learning process throughout, but the community can be proud of the diligence that was taken to make sure these funds were awarded fairly so that they can have the positive impact they were designed for.”

Commissioners voted on fund allocations based on recommendations from the 30-member CARES Act Citizens Advisory Committee.

The process was set up by categories, with $8 million for health care organizations; $6.5 million each for small businesses and tax-supported entities; $5 million for nonprofits and community organizations; $4.6 million for educational institutions; and the 10% reserve, according to the release.

Among the largest grants awarded was $4 million for the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, according to past reporting.

The federal government in May distributed $55 million in CARES Act funds to the five-county Springfield metropolitan statistical area. After Greene County’s $34.4 million, Christian County received the second-highest amount, at $10.4 million, according to past reporting.

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