Federal bill extends deadline, giving Manatee more time to disburse COVID-19 relief
After racing the clock to disburse as much COVID-19 relief as possible, Manatee County government has been granted additional time to review and approve financial requests under the CARES Act.
The federal stimulus bill signed by President Donald Trump on Sunday extended the deadline all the way to Dec. 31, 2021, giving the county an extra year to process applications for financial relief. Earlier this year, the CARES Act set Wednesday as the deadline to disburse the money.
In the months leading up to that deadline, local officials lobbied Congress to give them more time to process applications. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, sent a letter on Manatee’s behalf, calling the Dec. 30 date an “arbitrary deadline.”
“Our communities still need the money, but they encountered obstacles in allocating the funds to meet the deadline,” Buchanan said in a prepared statement at the time. “As the virus continues to spread, it’s critical that our communities have the resources they need. We can’t cut off funding in the middle of a public health crisis.”
While the bill does not approve extra money for Manatee, the county will be able to review applications through March 31, giving local residents, small businesses and nonprofits a chance to tap into the funds.
County officials say they have approved about $46 million in relief. About $21.5 million of that money has actually been disbursed to residents and small businesses. Earlier this month, officials said they were still processing over 1,000 applications.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there are more than 300 applications that still need to be reviewed, according to Deputy County Administrator Karen Stewart. She said that number includes 180 applications that were denied but may receive a second look during the extended time frame.
For more information regarding Manatee’s CARES program, visit www.MyManatee.org/ManateeCares.
