Last week, Governor Tim Walz announced he would distribute the full $841 million in federal CARES funding to local entities. The distribution is according to the approved compromise legislation the Senate and House agreed to in the special session.
“Local governments stretched themselves thin preparing for COVID, including and especially Olmsted County,” said Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester). “The federal government provided important COVID assistance to help local governments recoup these losses, and communities in Greater Minnesota deserve to get their fair share of that assistance. I am glad to see that the governor followed the lead of the Minnesota Senate and distributed this funding fairly, so Olmsted County and countless other local governments across the state can get assistance quickly.”
The compromise agreement distributed the local government funding fairly to Minnesota counties, cities, and towns based on a formula using their population. The Senate passed the agreed-upon legislation with nearly unanimous support during the special session. The legislation brought transparency and fairness to the distribution since the federal funds were not subject to legislative approval and could be spent unilaterally by the governor.
Minnesota received more than $2 billion from the federal government to help local governments, health professionals, and businesses fight COVID. That money went into an account called the Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund, so it could be quickly deployed to places it is needed most.
Olmsted County and its cities, towns, and townships all stand to benefit from the assistance:
- Olmsted County: $19 million
- Chatfield: $217,055
- Dover: $57,183
- Dover Township: $10,225
- Elmira Township: $9,425
- Eyota: $148,646
- Eyota Township: $12.825
- Farmington Township: $11,075
- Haverhill Township: $37,450
- High Forest Township: $25,200
- Marion Township: $98,975
- Orion Township: $15,475
- Pleasant Grove Township: $20,850
- Quincy Township: $8,700
- Rochester: $8.84 million
- Rochester Township: $45,775
- Rock Dell Township: $16,875
- Salem Township: $28,075
- Stewartville: $469,897
- Viola Township: $15,175
You can find full distribution numbers for counties, cities, and towns here: