Board of Nassau County Commission requests Congress amend Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to help small counties

Nassau County Board of Commission
Press Release
May 19, 2020

On March 27, 2020, Congress approved the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act [CARES] to provide assistance to American workers and families. The Act allowed for Economic Impact Payments to American household with incomes less than $99,000 and many residents have already received this benefit.

The Act also allows for payments to eligible units of local government for expenses incurred due to the public health emergency. Unfortunately, these payments were only made available to cities and counties with populations of 500,000 or more. So, while our neighbors in Jacksonville qualified for the funding and were able to offer $1,000 stimulus payments to their residents, Nassau County cannot because we don’t meet the population threshold.

On April 15, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners approved a Resolution advising Congress to amend the Act, citing that communities with populations under 500,000 have also been affected and are in need of emergency assistance for individuals, families and businesses. The Resolution urged Congress to reduce requirements for local units of government from populations that exceed 500,000 to populations that exceed 50,000, in an effort to secure funding for Nassau County.

To date, no amendments to the Act have been made by Congress, however the Board will continue to follow this issue closely.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010.

Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

(904) 530-6010 or (866)-474-1446

 

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Nicholas Velvet
Nicholas Velvet (@guest_57695)
3 years ago

As we wrote to The Nassau County Commissioners, The Manager, anyone…… explaining that some “pesky Seniors” walking the beaches was the exact same as walking the streets of Fernandina Beach and/or The River to Sea Bike Path, so too County Commissioners you will find drafting Resolutions to Washington is a total waste of your time(and our tax dollars). First and foremost understand and internalize no one from DC is coming to “save us”. Please get your red pens out and CUT the county budget to the bone assuming a 20% drop in commercial tax revenues or whatever % you see in loss of rent revenues for commercial properties. If unemployment is “officially” at 14.2% assume residential tax loss revenues at the same rate. Eat or pay taxes? Which would you do? Wakeup, grow up and do your jobs.