The County Council today will introduce special appropriations of nearly $18 million to provide additional assistance for COVID-19 recovery efforts.
The three appropriations are:
- A special appropriation of $14 million to the FY2021 operating budget to support the creation of Reopen Montgomery. This grant program will be administered by the Department of Finance through the Economic Development Fund and will provide grants of up to $5,000 per eligible county business that incur reopening expenses to comply with Maryland and county health regulations following the health crisis.
- A special appropriation of $3,250,000 to the FY2020 operating budget to support creative professionals and arts and humanities organizations that have been financially impacted by the Covid-19 global pandemic. This would provide $250,000 in mini-grants of up to $3,000 to individual artists and $3 million in general operating support grants to organizations.
- A special appropriation of $592,202 to the FY21 operating budget of the Department of Health and Human Services to expand mobile crisis response services.
Public hearings for the first two special appropriations are tentatively scheduled for July 7.
Also today, the council will hold public hearings and vote on 10 previously introduced special appropriations, according to a council press release. The funds, totaling almost $40 million in the FY2020 operating and capital improvement budgets, are for various purposes.
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