Governor Inslee announced that the state would award $300 million of the state's CARES funding to local governments that did not receive direct distributions under the CARES Act.
Each city will be eligible for up to $30 per capita and receive a minimum distribution of $25,000 for allowable expenses. Specifics on how cities can request CARES funds and what expenses will be eligible will be announced in the coming days. To ensure compliance, the Treasury Department issued a guidance document and a FAQ document providing examples of eligible and ineligible expenditures of CARES Act funds.
Roughly 240 city officials signed on to AWC’s letter asking Governor Inslee to provide funding to all cities and towns in Washington. The Governor’s office published a table outlining funding distributions for cities and counties. The Governor’s decision is subject to legislative review and legislative leaders have ten days to consider the plan. We encourage you to continue reaching out to your local legislators to share your city’s response to COVID-19.