County preps to distribute state COVID-19 relief funds
Of the $242 million in the bill, $114.8 million will head to counties for grantmaking, distributed based on population. This means Crow Wing County would receive over $1.1 million. 4:00 am, Dec. 18, 2020 ×
Crow Wing County Administrator Tim Houle speaks about a proposed grant program using state COVID-19 relief funds Tuesday, Dec. 15, during a county board meeting. Screenshot / Chelsey Perkins
Crow Wing County will facilitate another round of grants to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic this time, with funding from the state.
Close to half of the funds set aside by the Minnesota Legislature in a relief package passed by both chambers Monday night, Dec. 14, will be delegated to counties to distribute as grants. Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill into law Wednesday, but the Crow Wing County Board got a jumpstart Tuesday by passing a resolution establishing a framework for grant distribution.
Crow Wing County communities receive $6 million in CARES Act funds
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, is the federal government’s $2.2 trillion package to help businesses, workers and the health care system staggered by the pandemic.
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Crow Wing County Historic Courthouse. Photo courtesy Crow Wing County
Crow Wing County distributed nearly $5.9 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds to local small businesses, nonprofits, schools and organizations since the county received the federal funds in July.
The coronavirus relief bill is the federal government’s $2.2 trillion package to help businesses, workers and the health care system staggered by the pandemic.
The owner of the average Baxter commercial/industrial property valued at $1,063,100, experiencing no value change, would pay $6,773 instead of the $6,801 paid in 2020, or $28 less. With an average increase in value, however, that taxpayer would shell out $233 more.
No value change to the average $376,500 seasonal recreational property in Crosslake would also result in a small decrease in taxes year over year, from $1,248 to $1,243. Or with the average value increase, the seasonal recreational property owner would pay $41 more.
County Administrator Tim Houle said in September
an important consideration when setting a budget is the amount of new construction in the community expected the following year. New construction represents an increase in demand for services, Houle said, which will drive additional expenses. According to a county analysis, the value of new construction expected in 2021 is $140,573,617 a 26.17% increase over the previous year and 1.17% of the total estimate
The owner of the average Baxter commercial/industrial property valued at $1,063,100, experiencing no value change, would pay $6,773 instead of the $6,801 paid in 2020, or $28 less. With an average increase in value, however, that taxpayer would shell out $233 more.
No value change to the average $376,500 seasonal recreational property in Crosslake would also result in a small decrease in taxes year over year, from $1,248 to $1,243. Or with the average value increase, the seasonal recreational property owner would pay $41 more.
County Administrator Tim Houle said in September
an important consideration when setting a budget is the amount of new construction in the community expected the following year. New construction represents an increase in demand for services, Houle said, which will drive additional expenses. According to a county analysis, the value of new construction expected in 2021 is $140,573,617 a 26.17% increase over the previous year and 1.17% of the total estimate
While this coronavirus is novel and the vaccines developed to tame it are new, preparations underway by county public health staff are anything but.
“It’s just a different virus than the other ones that we’ve already worked with,” said Michelle Moritz, public health supervisor with Crow Wing County, during a Thursday, Dec. 10 interview. “… Fortunately, it’s something that we have spent the last 20-some years preparing for as we have had people much smarter than me telling us that this was coming. So I know it’s been at least 16 years that I’ve worked on pandemic preparedness and in 20 years of working for public health, it’s something that we’ve talked about since Day One.”