ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp and state officials will be managing how money from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund will be dispersed across the state.
CRF is under the The CARES Act - The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. It was passed by Congress in March to give resources to governments and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Georgia received about $4.1 billion, the governor said. Out of that money, Kemp said the U.S. Treasury provided that up to 45 percent can be transferred to local governments who qualify for it.
On Monday, Kemp sent a letter to all city and county leaders regarding how the funds from the CARES Act would be distributed, specifically during the first phase.
"The plan for CRF allocations and disbursements is a phased measured approach," the letter reads. "It is critical that funding be released to cities and counties experiencing an immediate need as quickly as possible."
"It also important that funding be disbursed equitably, but with the knowledge that some of our hardest-hit communities will need more assistance than others," Kemp said. "I encourage cities and counties to work together to address expenses or challenges that cross jurisdictional lines."
The letter explains that the maximum share of funding for local government is about $1.8 billion and that five local governments had received direct allocations, leaving about $1.23 billion for additional allocations.
It lays out how 30 percent of that $1.23 billion will be allocated to governments that didn't receive a direct allocation and are not located in a county that received the funds as well. The remaining 70 percent will be available on a reimbursement bases.
"Phase one funding should be used by September 1, 2020 or it may be recalled and reallocated for other uses," the letter said. "Please note that funding can only be used for eligible expenses."
The letter said Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett received funding directly from the teasury, so cities within those counties will have to to go to their county for funding.
The state said it plans to work with its partners to develop a portal for local governments to apply for the money.
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