Gov. Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency are launching the MEMA COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program. Through Mississippi Legislature’s House Bill 1799 and Senate Bill 3047, MEMA was allocated $70 million of CARES Act money to assist counties and municipalities with their COVID-19 expenses. Through FEMA’s COVID-19 Economic Disaster Declaration, counties and municipalities and specific nonprofits are eligible for public assistance. While FEMA reimburses 75% of those approved expenses, some entities struggle to meet the 25% match. Through the MEMA COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program, the burden is now lifted from the counties and municipalities to provide that match. Allocations of CARES Act funds to Mississippi counties and municipalities are based on their population as listed in the 2010 U.S. Census. Winston County has been allocated $283,288.97. Since March the county has had over $300,000 in COVID-19 related expenses. The expenses have come from several areas of the county government. With inmate labor unavailable, the county hired workers to cover all the garbage routes which has cost the county about $45,000 a month in extra expense. The Winston Choctaw Regional Correctional facility with several COVID-19 positive staff and inmates over the past few months have driven up cost at the facility along with overtime. Luke Parkes, Winston County Board of Supervisors president and District 2 supervisor, noted that solid waste costs have been the biggest part so far. “We are going to have to decide whether to hire the solid waste crews as full-time employees” said Parkes. Parkes explained that Supervisor District 3 Marion Jordan has been addressing the challenges of the solid waste routes with the temporary staff but the board would have to decide about hiring them full-time. “On the 30 of this month, we have to put have decided to hire them,” said Jordan. With moving them from temporary workers which can only be done for 4 months to full time, the county will have to provide state retirement and health insurance to the workers. Parkes noted that other funds from the federal government could come down to the counties. Board members and department heads also noted that county revenues in some areas were down due to COVID-19 with justice and Circuit court experiencing downturns in collections. The city of Louisville has been allocated $155,311.21. Louisville Mayor Will Hill noted that the city has incurred expenses on supplies but overall not much direct other COVID-19 expenses. As for city revenues, Hill noted they were stable. “We are grateful for the economy's stability on the local level, realizing some businesses were negatively impacted while others were benefited. People staying home also created more opportunities to spend at home rather than on travel. This has provided stable sales tax considering all that has happened, yet we still anticipate a dip at some point,” said Hill. Noxapater has been allocated $11,055.18 for COVID-19 expenses from the state through the CARES Act. Not all COVID-19 expenses are eligible for federal reimbursement through FEMA; therefore SB 3047 details what other expenses can be covered by the CARES Act funds. The allocation of funds from the Relief Program is based on the county or municipality’s population as listed in the 2010 U.S. Census. If a government entity’s costs are not entirely covered by FEMA’s reimbursement, MEMA will work with remaining CARES Act funds to help ensure a 100% reimbursement. The CARES Act funding application process will be open from Aug. 3- Oct. 15. Information on how to apply for CARES Act funding will be available by July 31 on MEMA’s website: . According to SB 3047, reimbursements must begin Aug. 15. Monies must be obligated by Nov. 30 or will be returned to the governor. Counties and municipalities can apply for public assistance through FEMA’s Grants Portal now by visiting grantee.fema.gov.
