City of Charleston Receives CARES Act Funds

The City of Charleston today received its first CARES reimbursement from the State of West Virginia for COVID-19 related expenses.  The City received approximately $3.6 million for the months of March and April.  These monies cover City payroll expenses for police, fire and refuse workers and expenses for cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essential items.

“The reimbursement received for March and April helps relieve some of the financial pressures caused by COVID-19,” said Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “We continue to provide the essential services that our citizens expect and depend on throughout this unprecedented time. Thank you to Governor Jim Justice and his team for expediting reimbursements to cities and counties across West Virginia.”

“Our team has worked closely with the Governor’s dedicated team to make sure these monies were received without delay,” said City Manager Jonathan Storage. “This initial reimbursement will help offset the city’s expected budgetary shortfalls and will help move us forward in our COVID-19 response.”

Justifications for the expenditures were sent to the State along with the CARES application on June 2. PPE and cleaning supplies for the Charleston Police Department and Charleston Fire Department are not included in this total. The supplies for these departments are being paid for by existing grant monies.