The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act was signed by former President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020. The $2.2 trillion stimulus bill was formulated to distribute to governments throughout the U.S. to help state and local governments pay specific expenditures incurred during and due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the $4.12 billion of Coronavirus Relief funding Georgia received, over $5 million was allocated to Columbia County. As of now, the county has not used any of its CARES Act funding. The county is in the process of determining exactly how the money will be used.
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The Board of Commissioners discussed potential projects for the Coronavirus Relief funding during its Planning Advance meeting in Athens on Nov. 7. While the commissioners took no official action in this meeting, Johnson is reported in the minutes as stating that the goal to put the funds toward infrastructure and public safety.
“There are restrictions on how that money can be spent,” said Johnson. “But we just had a very general discussion of what direction we wanted to go with that money. And right now it looks like our commission wants to focus on utilities: water, sewer lines, broadband utility and public safety type projects.”
On March 11, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act, another COVID-19 stimulus package to expedite recovery the effects of the pandemic. Of the $4.8 billion in ARPA funds allocated to Georgia, Columbia County has received $15.2 million, but have yet to spend any of it, nor has there been any discussion yet regarding its use, says county spokesperson Cassidy Harris.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
