Fairfax council adopts resolution to request CARES Act funds for COVID-19 expenses

The Village of Fairfax council voted Aug. 17 to adopt Resolution R 7 20 20 authorizing the village to request local government funds under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to pay direct expenses related to COVID-19.

Council members discussed whether the funds must be returned on an October 15 date cited in the resolution or may be spent through the end of the calendar year. A council member asked, “In section 2, it talks about the money has to be returned by October 15. But I but it says we have till the end of the year to use it. So I was wondering what that date is for.”

The administrator responded that communities can encumber funds (for example, by issuing a purchase order for masks or supplies) to show intent to spend, and that the county expects funds to be physically spent in the fiscal year: “They want it physically spent in this fiscal year, nothing going over into 2021.” The administrator added the county auditor will distribute allotments based on jurisdiction size and other criteria and the village does not yet know the amount it will receive.

After the discussion the council moved to adopt the resolution and completed a roll call. The chair announced that Resolution R 7 20 20 had been adopted. The council’s roll-call responses were recorded during the vote.

The resolution requires the village to use allocations for direct COVID-19 expenses and to return any unspent money to the county auditor by the end of the year; the amount Fairfax will receive was not specified at the meeting. The administrator said staff will plan and encumber purchases as appropriate once the allotment is known.

The council will receive the county’s allotment and must follow the county auditor’s instructions for reporting and returning unspent funds.