By Mike Sunnucks | Rose Law Group Reporter
The Mesa City Council was briefed this morning on the CARES Act and the federal program’s help for communities impacted by the Coronavirus.
The U.S. Treasury Department is scheduled to disperse funds to eligible cities and communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic starting April 24th.
Mesa is one of the Arizona jurisdictions eligible for $139 billion being allocated directly to states, counties and cities, according to the presentation heard this morning.
Jurisdictions with populations of 500,000 people or more qualify for direct federal aid in the COVID-19 stimulus program. In Arizona, the cities of Phoenix, Tucson and Mesa as well as Maricopa and Pima counties meet that threshold.
The next steps for Mesa and other jurisdictions will be to have city managers officially certify the financial impacts of the pandemic and notify the U.S. Treasury Department that they will accept CARES act allocations.
COVID-19 has shutdown much of the economy across the country putting a halt to tourism and travel and closing businesses. The pandemic shutdown Spring Training baseball in Arizona and Florida.
That is an economic and tax revenue hit for Mesa, Scottsdale and other cities. Mesa is home to the Chicago Cubs and Oakland A’s.
