NASHVILLE – As they grapple with COVID-19 as well as existing infrastructure needs, Hamilton County, Chattanooga and nine other municipalities within the county can look forward to some $9.2 million as their share of a $200 million statewide grant program created by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and state lawmakers.
But local governments here as well as for all 95 counties and 345 towns and cities across Tennessee will have to wait 91 days to get it in their coffers.
That’s because the huge pots of one-time money only become available to them on July 1 when Tennessee’s Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget takes effect.
“Those funds will come directly to the local county and those cities and they have discretion in how to use it within particular guidelines around infrastructure and COVID-19,” Lee said during a video conference call with reporters last week.
The idea of special, one-time funding for local governments originated much earlier this year amid the state’s massive $1 billion revenue surplus. Lee originally proposed a $100 million infrastructure fund for local governments to put toward a variety of local needs ranging from sewers and roads to technology. Counties would divide $50 million while municipalities would do likewise based on formulas based on population.