Abrams Supports $14.5 Million In Local COVID-19 Relief Funding

Cleves, Harrison, Whitewater and Miami townships are among the local communities receiving funding.

(Columbus, Oh.) - State Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) recently announced the General Assembly approved House Bill 614, which provides $650 million of federal CARES Act funding to local communities across Ohio for COVID-19 pandemic-related expenses.

“Local governments are working hard to maintain operations and safety in our communities,” said Abrams. “This additional funding will help strengthen the COVID-19 recovery efforts in Ohio.”

The funding will be made available to counties, municipalities, and townships for expenses incurred between March 1^st and the end of 2020. The aid is being distributed on a per-capita basis.

Ohio’s six jurisdictions with populations over 500,000, which includes Hamilton County, are excluded because they already qualify for direct payments from the CARES Act. However, municipalities and townships within the county are still eligible for the following funding appropriated in the bill:

- Addyston Village – $33,729
- Cincinnati City – $10,952,704
- Cleves Village – $121,621
- Colerain Township – $2,134,037
- Crosby Township – $101,044
- Harrison City – $428,681
- Harrison Township – $151,747
- Miami Township – $392,898
- North Bend Village – $31,459
- Whitewater Township – $198,881

H.B. 614 will also improve Ohio’s unemployment compensation system by creating the Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council to evaluate the claim filing process and technological infrastructure.

Under the bill, the Auditor of State is required to examine and make recommendations on the efficiency of the process, and the Director of Job and Family Services is required to create a constituent referral system and strategic staffing plan to better serve Ohioans.

Governor DeWine signed the bill last week.