West Cornwall Township and Mount Gretna Borough are the latest Lebanon County municipalities to receive funds from the American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery program.
State Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced the fifth batch of payments July 29 to Pennsylvania cities, boroughs and townships that qualified.
West Cornwall was allocated $108,227.97, and Mount Gretna was given $10,937.93. This is half of the funds that they have coming; the rest will be delivered in about a year.
They were among 233 municipalities that were disbursed payments totaling $22.6 million. To date, 2,118 Pennsylvania municipalities – including 21 from Lebanon County – have received more than $463 million through the program.
More than 2,500 municipalities are eligible, according to the state Treasury Department.
Funds can be used to address the pandemic’s negative economic impacts, replace lost public sector revenue, support public health, assist essential workers, and invest in infrastructure improvements, including water, sewer and broadband services.
Russell Gibble, chairman of the West Cornwall Township Board of Supervisors, told LebTown that it’s too early in the process to say how the money will be used.
Under the American Rescue Plan Act, states are responsible for allocating these federal funds to municipalities with fewer than 50,000 residents. Cities, boroughs and townships must request the payments through the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
Aug. 2 is the application deadline. Larger municipalities apply for the money directly from the federal government.
The 19 Lebanon County municipalities that previously received payment from the program are Cleona, Cornwall, Myerstown and Palmyra boroughs, and Annville, Bethel, East Hanover, Heidelberg, Jackson, Millcreek, North Annville, North Cornwall, North Lebanon, North Londonderry, South Annville, South Lebanon, South Londonderry, Swatara and West Lebanon townships.
Read More: Federal relief payments made to 17 Lebanon County municipalities
Read More: Jackson and Annville townships the latest to receive coronavirus recovery funds (Update)
The Pennsylvania Treasury Department will continue to pay municipalities on a rolling basis as they complete the necessary steps to receive payment.
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