CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Commission has agreed to transfer more than $4.1 million in coronavirus relief funding to various agencies because of losses from the pandemic as well as operations.
The county has been allocated more than $34 million from the American Rescue Plan, which the U.S. Congress passed in March. The county has already received $17 million with the second allocation expected next spring.
The Kanawha County Commission lost more than $3.3 million in revenue amid the pandemic.
“Before someone says all they did was take this money and paid themselves back, this commission went out … spent a lot of money during COVID that we simply didn’t receive back,” Commission President Kent Carper said. “When you look at this program, it has it down as one of the number one things to suggest. That a local government needs to remain strong and solvent for continuity of government.”
Carper noted the move replenished accounts; according to a U.S. Treasury formula, the general fund was $2 million below levels because of the pandemic.
Other transfers included $285,397.97 to Kanawha County Parks and Recreation and $236,375 to Kanawha Valley Senior Services.