NASHVILLE – Hamilton County, the city of Chattanooga and the county’s nine other municipalities can expect to see a combined $10.06 million in one-time funds courtesy of a Local Government Support Grants program created by Gov. Bill Lee and state legislators in an effort to address losses from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The money is part of a $210.43 million pot getting divvied up among the state’s 95 counties and 345 municipalities as the result of a decision by Lee and lawmakers to double a previously approved $100 million infrastructure grant fund for local governments.
As a result of the increase, Hamilton County government, which is getting the largest amount in the county, will see nearly $4.17 million. The city of Chattanooga comes in a close second at $4.01 million, with East Ridge ranking No. 3 with $493,968.
Soddy-Daisy is slated to receive $332,714, while Red Bank will see $289,636, closely followed by Collegedale with $283,610. The fund is providing Signal Mountain with $219,060. Walden gets $77,270, while Lookout Mountain will see $71,180. That’s followed by $71,026 for Lakesite and $39,534 for Ridgeside.
The goal is providing local governments some financial relief in light of lost tax revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted weekslong closures of many businesses while also resulting in new COVID-19-related spending.