Oregon state legislators send in 'Cares Act Relief Funds' framework to Governor Brown

OREGON — State legislators have submitted a ‘Cares Act Relief Funds’ framework to the governor, in hopes smaller cities and counties in Oregon can begin receiving federal coronavirus funding.

The state of Oregon allocated $200,000,000 of Cares Act funding for the reimbursement of local government public health expenses relating to coronavirus.

The executive director for the Association of Oregon Counties, Gina Nikkel, says the association worked with the League of Oregon Cities and Special Districts of Oregon to create a new framework.

“We asked our county commissioners to send letters to the governor, you know, explaining the need for a different disbursement model and that’s when legislative leadership and the governor appointed a work group to work on this,” said Nikkel.

Oregon state senators Jeff Golden and Bill Hansell, along with house representatives Karin Power and Rick Lewis, helped create the framework.

It has been dubbed the ‘Cares Act Relief Funds’ or CRF, to distribute Cares funding evenly amongst smaller counties and cities.

“We have asked the governor and legislative leadership to provide a formula where special districts still want the reimbursement model and they would take $20 million dollars off the top,” Nikkel said.

Special districts are considered smaller government units, such as fire districts and transportation with a revenue base.

Nikkel says the remaining money would be given to counties and cities in a 60/40 split.

“60% for counties and 40% for cities and that’s because counties are the local health authority,” said Nikkel.

Distribution of the 60/40 split would be based on population.

“Counties would be given 250,000 dollars as a base to spend on public health and economic relief,” Nikkel added.

$50,000 would go to cities with a population of more than 750, while cities with populations under 750 would get $25,000.

For Jackson County, commissioner Rick Dyer says the funding is vital and could be used to help the local economy.

“We’d do whatever we can to support the recovery – the economic and business recovery – in our county and that’s one of the main concerns, of course,” said Dyer.

The framework was sent to Governor Kate Brown, the president of the Oregon Senate and the State Speaker of the House for approval this past Friday.

There is no word on when the Governor will approve it.