GA State Government To Receive $4.65B From COVID-19 Relief Bill

GEORGIA — The American Rescue Plan, or COVID-19 relief bill, will deliver nearly $8.4 billion to the state of Georgia, including $4.65 billion to the Georgia State government and more than $3.7 billion to various capital state projects and county and municipal governments.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package, which was proposed by President Joe Biden to speed up the United States' recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession. Biden signed it into law March 11.

These funds can be used to replace lost revenue, maintain public services like firefighters and police, and protect frontline workers.

A breakdown of Federal funds allocation shows that in addition to $4.65 billion, Georgia will also receive $262 million to apply to capital projects across the state, which includes work on roads, bridges and highways, among other things. The plan sends a total of more than $2 billion to Georgia counties, and $1.4 billion to municipal governments across the state.

Gov. Brian Kemp and State House Speaker David Ralston, however, balked that the funds could not be used for statewide tax breaks.

"Democrats in Washington and in the White House are not going to tell me, or the Georgia General Assembly, that we can't cut taxes for hard-working Georgians," Kemp said at a press conference shortly after Congress voted the plan into law along party lines.

In the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, cities with populations over 500,000 were the only recipients of direct federal funding from the government. In Georgia, that made Atlanta the only city to get this funding.

Other cities had to rely on the governor's discretion to allocate funds given to the state, with many saying they did not receive adequate funding.

U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock were among those committed to including direct funding for cities, towns and counties in the American Rescue Plan.

In late January, Ossoff co-sponsored legislation to include this direct funding in the bill, with the support of mayors across the state.

"As I've spoken with mayors and local leaders across Georgia, it's clear that Georgia's smaller cities, counties, towns, and rural communities have not received the federal support they need and deserve," Ossoff said. "I am fighting for funding to sustain vital local services and save jobs across Georgia, and will keep communities updated of progress as I fight for inclusion of this funding for local communities in upcoming COVID relief legislation."

The Georgia Municipal Association applauded the inclusion of the measure, sending a letter from more than 240 Georgia local leaders representing 136 cities.