The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has had a significant financial impact on municipalities throughout Camden County, Pennsauken included. Local governments across the board have been under pressure to purchase vital personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, and a variety of other tools for essential employees since the start of this public health crisis. To alleviate some of these costs, the Freeholder Board received, and is allocating, federal funding for towns which will be used to supplement unforeseen costs that have been attributed directly to their operational budget.
“Anyone working in government today knows we have seen a stark change in how we operate, and we have had to account for the costs of PPE, testing, and additional unforeseen needs at a scale we never would have pictured just five months ago,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. “This funding is going to be necessary for our towns’ budget cycles, whether it is used for EMS overtime or to reimburse the outfitting of municipal buildings for public business in a safe manner.”
Pennsauken’s municipal government has received $259,000 in the first phase of CARES Act funding that has been dispersed through the County. In total, municipalities in Camden County will receive $3.2 million in grant funding. These much-needed funds will support the Township’s preparation and response to COVID-19, covering fire, police, EMS, and municipal costs for items such as PPE, plexiglass, sanitizing solution, sprayers, and more.
“We’re extremely grateful for the federal funding we’re received to help us respond to COVID-19,” said Pennsauken Mayor Tim Killion. “We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of our municipal staff, our first responders, and the residents we serve. We thank our partners at the County level for their support in helping us continue with these very important efforts.”
Congressman Donald Norcross worked with his colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“We are still in the midst of a grave health emergency, and our local governments urgently need relief,” Norcross said. “The CARES Act passed by Congress provides our counties and towns with the critical federal resources needed to help cover unexpected costs from the coronavirus pandemic and keep our first responders and other essential workers safe and on the job. I will continue to fight for South Jersey in Congress to ensure our communities get the tools and supplies we need to combat this outbreak and keep residents healthy and secure.”
The CARES Act was a trillion-dollar economic relief package to protect the American people from the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19. The law was signed into law in late March, having been passed by Congress with overwhelming, bipartisan support.
The CARES Act requires that payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that:
- Are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID–19;
- Were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020 (the date of enactment of the CARES Act); and
- Were incurred during the period from March 1, to December 30, 2020.
This will be part of the ongoing distribution of grant funding by the Freeholder Board to towns, healthcare institutions and small businesses over the next month.
