‘Backbone of our economy.’ Columbus to get $4 million for COVID economic relief
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is awarding $4 million to the Columbus Consolidated Government for small business COVID-19 economic relief.
The city will use the additional $4 million to expand its roughly $5 million small business assistance program, city and state officials said.
This city’s program was originally supported by Community Development Block Grant coronavirus funding. Due to high demand, the city dedicated $4.85 million in American Rescue Plan funds for small businesses, nonprofits and tourism/hospitality ventures.
The $4 million allocation is part of more than $415 million that Kemp awarded to nonprofits, government organizations and businesses across the state to address the negative economic effects caused by COVID-19.
Funding for these awards came from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program, a part of the American Rescue Plan Act.
“We remained focused on protecting lives and livelihoods throughout the pandemic, and our approach gave us a leg up in the great recovery,” Kemp said in a statement. “I’m proud of our state’s resilience, and as of today, we have worked hard and identified ways to further deliver assistance to hardworking Georgians, support businesses and speed up the recovery of impacted industries and rebuild crucial public services.”
Of the $4 million in state-granted funds, $1 million is earmarked for nonprofits and $3 million will be set aside for small businesses, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson said during a Tuesday news conference.
The city government is partnering with the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce to help businesses with the application process. It will take six-to-eight weeks before the city receives those funds, Henderson said, citing guidance he received from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.
The city government has approved about 68 applications for small business COVID relief funding. Roughly 549 businesses have applied, but about 45% of them never finished the application process. The city has rejected 24 applications. Roughly $2.2 million from the first round of funding has been distributed, said Henderson and finance director Angelica Alexander.
A small business can receive up to $40,000, and nonprofits can receive up to $25,000. Payroll is not an expense that can be covered under this program, but other purchases like utilities and rent are allowed, city officials said.
“This community will have invested almost $9 million in protecting the backbone of our economy, which is our small business area as well as our nonprofits,” Henderson said.
This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 12:32 PM.