PEARL, Miss. (MEMA) – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, as of September 17, 2020, has paid out $6,171,912.92 to counties and municipalities whose projects have been approved for reimbursement for COVID-19 expenses.
Those counties and municipalities include: Alcorn, Chickasaw, Hancock, Jones, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Wayne counties, and Clinton, Oxford, Southaven, Starkville and Vicksburg. Currently, approximately $8 has been approved for reimbursement and MEMA has received a total of 148 applications.
In August, Governor Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency launched the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Program. Through the Mississippi Legislature, MEMA was allocated $70 million of CARES Act Money to reimburse county and municipal governments for COVID-19 expenses.
To be reimbursed through the COVID-19 Relief Program, the county/municipality must have their application and specific project (what type of expense they’re being reimbursed for) approved by MEMA. For local governments to receive those approved funds, each must sign an agreement with the state to certify their projects meet CARES Act criteria. Once received, MEMA will release those funds.
MEMA is urging local and county governments to apply for the CARES Act funds before the deadline, October 15. According to Senate Bill 3047, monies must be obligated by November 30 or will be returned to Governor Reeves.
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For a list of the counties and municipalities that have applied for CARES Act fund: RELIEF-PROGRAM-APPLICANTS.pdf