Paris, Tenn.–Henry County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway announced at Monday evening’s regular commission meeting that a ‘significant’ allocation of federal funds will be coming to the county as part of the federal stimulus package approved last week.
Ridgeway said he was notified through the County Mayors Association and said the monies will be arriving within 60 days of last Thursday.
“This will be monumental,” Ridgeway said. “We don’t know exactly how much we’ll be receiving right now, but it will be significant. And it will come directly to the counties. It won’t be passing through the state level.”
The funds will come in two separate payments: one in May of 2021 and the other in May of 2022 and they must be spent by December of 2024.
The monies can be spent in several categories, including health care, offsetting county expenses during the COVID pandemic, repayment of lost revenue to counties that could have accumulated during the pandemic, education, infrastructure improvements in such areas as sewer, broadband and telecommunications.
“We’ll know more in the coming days and we’ll share that with everyone,” Ridgeway said.
In other business during the 12-minute meeting:
–Ridgeway said Wifi is being installed at the Henry County Courthouse and the annex.