Buchanan urges DeSantis to direct COVID-19 relief funds to Bradenton and Sarasota area
Manatee and Sarasota have the first and second highest number of COVID-19 deaths among Florida counties yet to receive federal aid.
The combined economies face a possible $2 billion hit, Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said Friday in requesting aid for the Bradenton and Sarasota areas.
In a letter Friday to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Buchanan applauded the announcement that his administration will soon begin disbursing unused coronavirus relief funds to Florida counties. Buchanan requested that a significant portion to be directed to Manatee and Sarasota counties, which have been hit hard by the deadly coronavirus.
“Manatee and Sarasota counties have been severely impacted by coronavirus and continue to deal with the devastating health and economic effects of the virus,” Buchanan said. “This funding is desperately needed in our community to help keep residents safe and ease the significant economic burden that our local governments are facing due to coronavirus.”
Twelve counties in Florida have already received a total of more than $2.4 billion in coronavirus relief funds directly from the federal government, including counties with far fewer coronavirus cases and deaths than Manatee and Sarasota, according to a press release from Buchanan’s office.
DeSantis announced on Wednesday that the Florida Division of Emergency Management will begin distributing more than $1.2 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding to smaller counties across Florida. Under the CARES Act passed by Congress in March, a county or city must have at least 500,000 people to be eligible for direct financial assistance related to coronavirus.
Local governments with populations below that threshold, including Manatee and Sarasota, are dependent on the state government to disburse those funds. Hillsborough County, part of which is represented by Buchanan, has a population of 1.4 million and qualifies for direct federal aid.
“The funding provided to states and local governments under the CARES Act can be used in a wide variety of ways including the purchase and distribution of personal protective equipment and medical supplies for first responders and front-line health care workers, increased testing, COVID-19-related expenses of public hospitals and health clinics, as well as for food delivery to area residents, including seniors and other vulnerable populations,” Buchanan said in his letter.
Manatee County has 1,244 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 114 deaths while Sarasota County has 693 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 89 deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health.
According to one economic forecast, the combined Sarasota-Manatee economy is facing the possibility of a $2.3 billion economic slump over the next 90 days because of the coronavirus.
StratoDem Analytics, an economic data firm located in Cambridge, Mass., estimates Manatee County could see a 28 percent decline in its gross domestic product. Sarasota County’s GDP will decline by about 25 percent in the second quarter of 2020.
Measured on a per household basis, that works out to a $5,700 loss in Manatee County from April through June and a $6,300 economic loss in Sarasota County for the same time period.
“Again I urge you to prioritize coronavirus relief funding for Manatee and Sarasota counties and look forward to your prompt response on this very important issue,” Buchanan wrote to DeSantis.
