Local government officials are calling for the federal government to extend the Dec. 30th deadline to give them more time to spend the money from the Coronavirus Relief Fund under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, Route Fifty reported Saturday.
Some officials said the deadline will restrict them from spreading the funds into 2021 in order to continue to address the threats posed by COVID-19.
Lee Ann Bohn, Maricopa County, Arizona assistant county manager, said the government should extend the deadline to at least the end of June 2021. “Covid does not end on December 30, but our CARES Act money does,” Bohn added.
Some officials asked for more flexibility when it comes to using the relief funds in areas not linked to pandemic response efforts, such as replacing lost revenues.
“We are trying to shove a lot through the pipeline right now,” said Margaret Danuser, Denver’s deputy chief financial officer. “A little bit more breathing room in terms of the timeframe to spend the dollars, as well as maybe some additional flexibility around the use of the funds, would be certainly very helpful."