Commission Chairman Matt Brooks presided over Monday’s emergency session of the board.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            Levy County Commissioners Monday met in emergency session to approve the distribution of about $806,000 of CARES Act money to 292 struggling Levy County businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 economic shutdown.

            County Procurement Coordinator Alicia Tretheway said the clerk’s office will mail out paper checks today, each worth $2,762, to eligible businesses approved by the county commission and the clerk’s office.

            This is the second round of CARES Act funding to these same businesses. It is leftover money from the first distribution.

            CARES Act funding was approved by the U.S. Congress and passed on to the state, which in turn distributed the money to counties.

            The public has been confused, to some extent, about the fact that there have been several pots of CARES Act money received by the county. One pot of money was allocated to businesses that lost money in the economic shutdown. That money was distributed Monday. 

            A second pot of CARES Act money, about $140,000, was set aside to help people behind on their mortgages or rent. The program is continuing and people can fill out applications at the county commission office or in libraries. They can also find the application on the Levy County Commission website – levycounty.org.

            The third and largest pot of CARES Act money, about $5.7 million, will be set aside for use by the county commission. The county is using the Levy County Sheriff’s Office payroll from March through November of this year to justify receiving the CARES Act funding, but the commission doesn’t have to spend the money only on the sheriff’s office.

            “Once the county receives the money the board has to prioritize how they spend it,” said County Coordinator Wilbur Dean.

            Sheriff Bobby McCallum said his office provided the county commission with its payroll covering the period from March through November to assist with the CARES Act application.

            “I guess they can use it any way they want, it will be up to them, I don’t know,” McCallum said. “We haven’t discussed it. Obviously, everyone has plenty of needs and we do, but all we’re doing is assisting them. Our finance has given them our payroll to justify what expenses we’ve had under the CARES Act.”

———————-

Board of County Commission Emergency Session November 30, 2020; Posted November 30, 2020