$30 million set aside for local cities, townships, and villages

Oakland County will set aside $30 million from their allocation of CARES Act funds for cities, townships, and villages impacted by COVID-19, County Executive David Coulter announced last week. Coulter’s administration is taking this step because local communities have also incurred expenses related to the pandemic.

“From the beginning of my administration, my vision for the county has been Oakland Together,” Coulter said. “Oakland Together is about leveraging our strengths in collaboration with our community partners to lift up everyone. That is why we are setting aside $30 million from our share of the CARES Act to support our cities, townships and villages.”

Each city, township, and village will receive funds in proportion to its population with a cap. They will have to follow the same guidance that Oakland County must follow in expending these funds. Once approved by the Board of Commissioners, the county will ask each recipient to verify the expenses meet the guidelines set by the U.S. Treasury.

There is a wide range of allowable expenses including public safety, staff overtime, personal protection equipment, and safety protocols and equipment to prepare to safely re-open, among others. For governments, the funds may not be used as revenue replacement and these pandemic-related expenditures must meet the following criteria:

• Additional expenses must account for in their approved budget as of March 27, 2020.
• Expenses incurred must be prior to Dec. 30, 2020.

The first round of disbursements will be made by the end of June to meet their budget calendar year. Oakland County plans two additional rounds, likely in August and September.

“The effects of the pandemic run deep in Oakland County. As the former mayor of Ferndale, I understand how quickly an emergency can eat up limited resources,” Coulter said. “We have come together to fight the pandemic, and together we will move forward.”