The City of Fishers is eligible for nearly $3 million from the federal economic stimulus package called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES ACT. The state of Indiana received $2.4 billion in federal aid from the CARES ACT and set aside $300 million to be distributed to counties, cities and towns. Hamilton County is eligible for a little more than $10.7 million, and the cities and towns within the county received individual funding based on the population.
The funds can be used to recoup expenses already incurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Fishers, the largest cost the city plans to use the reimbursement for is the COVID-19 testing provided by the Fishers Health Dept. Mayor Scott Fadness said personal protective equipment also was a major cost.
“We received (an) allocation from the state CARES ACT, a little over $3 million is what we are eligible for,” Fadness said. “That doesn’t mean that was directly given to the City of Fishers. It was set aside, and if we have reimbursement expenses, we submit those for reimbursement.”
So far, Fishers has submitted two requests for reimbursement, totaling $1.1 million.
City Controller Lisa Bradford said the process was straightforward.
“The Indiana Finance Authority has an application on its website, and it goes through (three) buckets of expense, and when you put in the allocation, you must submit an allocation for each category,” Bradford said. “You can submit multiple applications until you have exhausted your amount.”
The three categories for eligibility are: Necessary expenses incurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic; costs not accounted for in the county’s most recently approved budget as of March 27; and costs incurred during the period that began March 1 and ends Dec. 30.
“The county is in contact with the IFA almost daily as we work to decide which expenses are allowable costs under CARES ACT funding,” Hamilton County Grant Administrator Todd Clevenger stated. “Within these three major categories are another six subcategories that expenses must further fit into. It is the Auditor’s Office responsibility to make sure all the departments, within the county and any non-governmental units we help, stay in compliance with all the requirements outlined in section 601(a) of the Social Security Act as added by section 5001 of the CARES ACT.”
