The American Rescue Plan announced on Monday that the federal government will deliver $350 billion to state and local governments in the coming weeks, including $6 billion to Ohio and, far down the line, $7,871,506 to Ottawa County.

In Ohio, Cuyahoga County will get the largest share, $239.9 million, and Cleveland will top the cities with an award of $511.7 million. The counties around Ottawa County will receive: Lucas, $83 million; Erie, $14.4 million; and Sandusky, $11.3 million.

In Ottawa County, where County Commissioners Mark Stahl, Mark Coppeler and Donald Douglas have been frugal, the county spent only $19.2 million of its $22.6 million in revenue in 2020.

To support the immediate pandemic response, bring back jobs, and lay the groundwork for a strong and equitable recovery, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 established the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, designed to bolster their response to the COVID-19 emergency and its economic impacts.

The U.S. Treasury will begin launching this relief to:

• Support urgent COVID-19 response efforts to continue to decrease spread of the virus and bring the pandemic under control;
• Replace lost public sector revenue to strengthen support for vital public services and help retain jobs;
• Support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses; and,
• Address systemic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the inequal impact of the pandemic on certain populations.

The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provide substantial flexibility for each jurisdiction to meet local needs—including support for households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest-hit by the crisis.

These funds also deliver resources that recipients can invest in building, maintaining, or upgrading their water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.

Critical to Ottawa County, the funding will speed the recovery of the tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors, supporting industries that were particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 emergency and are just now beginning to mend.