Whitley County to receive CARES reimbursement funding

Last week, Gov. Beshear announced more than $5.5 Million in CARES Act reimbursements for 22 Eastern Kentucky local governments. The reimbursements will cover payroll expenses, PPE, sanitizing and telecommuting supplies.

A press release sent out by the governor’s office last Thursday stated:

In collaboration with the Department for Local Government (DLG), today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced 22 eastern Kentucky governments have applied for and been granted $5,523,949 in reimbursements from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act for local governments with expenses related to COVID-19.

Eighteen others have received preliminary approval, meaning they will receive reimbursements once final documentation is submitted to DLG.

“Our local governments have been life lines in our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why this funding is so important,” said Gov. Beshear. “We are grateful for their hard work and dedication to keeping Kentuckians safe.”

DLG Commissioner Dennis Keene mentioned how essential reimbursements are for local governments. “We know our local governments are experiencing decreases in revenue, making this funding even more important while we combat this crisis,” said Commissioner Keene. “Our staff is working diligently to make the process simple and efficient so we can get reimbursements out the door to our cities and counties as quickly as possible.”

Whitley County will receive $524,735 for cleaning supplies, signs to encourage social distancing and payroll for law enforcement, emergency management and EMS personnel.

“Whitley County was in dire need due to the economic decline brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White, Jr. “This funding is crucial for the recovery of our county. Thanks to Gov. Beshear for obtaining this funding and to his staff for their assistance. They were very cooperative.”

Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov and the state’s response to COVID-19 at kycovid19.ky.gov.