Putnam communities getting more than $10 million from American Rescue Act

Friday, March 12, 2021
President Joe Biden

With Putnam County leading the way at $7.29 million, local communities will share in $10.4 million from the American Rescue Act signed into law Thursday by President Joe Biden.

The City of Greencastle will receive $2.14 million, Mayor Bill Dory announced Thursday night at the outset of the March City Council meeting.

“This just came in basically about 3 o’clock yesterday, so (Clerk-Treasurer) Lynda Dunbar and I haven’t had a chance to go over it yet,” Dory told the Banner Graphic Friday.

In addition to Putnam County and the City of Greencastle, other Putnam communities and the funds they are expected to receive, according to information from the National League of Cities, are:

-- Bainbridge, $160,000.

-- Cloverdale, $450,000.

-- Fillmore, $110,000.

-- Greencastle, $2,140,000.

-- Roachdale, $180,000.

-- Russellville, $70,000.

-- Putnam County, $7,290,000

“We have not received any information on the rules that will govern the expenditure of these funds,” Mayor Dory said, “nor how or when it will be paid.”

He said he expects to hear more about the parameters of the Rescue Plan funds in the next week or more.

Mayor Dory said the funds most certainly would be obligated for “some sort of government function.”

Some of these funds likely will need to cover expected shortfalls in revenue expected in 2022 and possibly 2023, Dory suggested.

“Lynda and I will try to forecast where things might be tight (in the budget for 2022) and set aside some funds as a safety net.”

The mayor said he realizes there are likely to be some shortfalls in the 2022 budget due to lesser income tax paid in 2020.

While Greencastle hasn’t had it as bad as some other areas in COVID-related layoffs and closings, there have been short-term interruptions of business across the community in restaurants and more, Dory said.

Consequently less-than-normal income tax has been paid in locally.

Likewise, Putnam County officials are waiting for more information on the $7.29 million coming their way.

“We don’t know anything about what the parameters are going to be until we hear something from the feds,” Commissioner Tom Helmer said Monday.

In 2020, the county utilized $1.2 million in CARES Act funds to assist agencies most affected by the pandemic, such as Putnam County EMS, Sheriff’s Office, 911 Dispatch, Health Department and local fire departments.

Like the city, the county officials also expect revenue shortfalls in the coming years, making saving the money for the coming years — if it is allowed — a likely outcome.

However, officials aren’t sure what the deadline will be for spending or at least obligating use of the funds, which will be dictated by the federal government.

“I’m sure more things will be coming out about it,” the mayor added.

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  • hmmmm

    -- Posted by beg on Fri, Mar 12, 2021, at 11:38 PM
  • Ditto.

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Fri, Mar 12, 2021, at 11:43 PM
  • Awesome news!

    -- Posted by BJCP96 on Sat, Mar 13, 2021, at 12:04 PM
  • My understanding is this money can be used for businesses that were impacted by closing there doors. Cities and towns will have these businesses apply for grants and the cities and towns will pay out funds from the federal monies.

    -- Posted by Money wise on Sat, Mar 13, 2021, at 2:37 PM
    Response by Eric Bernsee, Editor Emeritus, Greencastle Banner-Graphic:
    This is not that pool of money. The city has applied for that money from the state with a maximum of $250,000 available. It can be used to aid 25 local businesses at $10,000 each.
  • Really?

    -- Posted by beg on Sat, Mar 13, 2021, at 3:42 PM
  • Wow, that’s 0.000526% of the money in that bill.

    -- Posted by techphcy on Sat, Mar 13, 2021, at 4:22 PM
  • Thank you, President Biden. So happy to have a President who cares for the people.

    -- Posted by Queen53 on Sat, Mar 13, 2021, at 6:05 PM
  • Trump sent out money, too. If you think that means either of them care about you beyond your vote, you’re not paying attention.

    -- Posted by techphcy on Sun, Mar 14, 2021, at 11:37 AM
  • techphcy - finally a voice of reason. That 1.9 trillion wasn't for the American citizens - in fact if we the citizens of the United States were to pay that back INTEREST FREE it would cost each. man , woman, and child in the USA almost 6 thousand dollars. To send each man , woman ,and child in the United States would be about 462 Billion dollars and that is a far cry from 1.9 Trillion.

    -- Posted by Workingthesoil on Sun, Mar 14, 2021, at 11:48 AM
  • techphcy said, "Trump sent out money, too. If you think that means either of them care about you beyond your vote, you’re not paying attention."

    Well said!

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Sun, Mar 14, 2021, at 2:33 PM
  • Government can only take money from another appropriation pot. Guess where the money comes from to be put in all those different pots. You, Dear tax payers. And I guarantee you will be paying all this free money back- the government is handing out. Republicans, Democrats, libertarians. It’s how the government is set up. Stop all this complaining and get back to work. You got taxes to pay.

    -- Posted by Money wise on Mon, Mar 15, 2021, at 7:24 AM
  • And so take a guess at what country is buying the bonds that back up the printing press money?

    ...Chyna

    and when they collect the bond yields that are baked into the deal what do they buy with that money?

    ...the largest navy in the world

    and who is that going to challenge for world superpower status?

    aren't we smart...wake up you wokesters

    -- Posted by direstraits on Mon, Mar 15, 2021, at 9:44 AM
  • Queen53 is living in la-la land if he thinks Biden has our best interests at heart.

    Did you read that Biden is making the largest Federal Tax raise since 1993?

    Trump was right about this idiot in the WH.

    -- Posted by donantonio on Mon, Mar 15, 2021, at 5:04 PM
  • DA,

    You have to remember, leftist/ liberal theology believes your money is their money and they know best how to spend it.

    Sadly, the other side of the aisle buys into the same concept. Kind of what to expect when:

    1. Via education (or lack thereof), we have created a hands out society as a whole

    2. Some voters, as we see above, feel handouts automatically are equal to caring and guarantees results.

    3. Society ignores analyzing results- Urban policy is the perfect example- keep voting for a specific part because they care and will give us money. Yet, we constantly hear how cities have major issues on so many levels. You would think after 80-90 years, a different perspective might be desired. Nope! Just keep doing the same thing and we will get different results! Hmmm, sounds like the definition for insanity!

    Oh well, at least I know they care and that is all that matters.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-15/biden-eyes-first-major-tax-hi...

    -- Posted by beg on Mon, Mar 15, 2021, at 5:47 PM
  • -- Posted by BJCP96 on Mon, Mar 15, 2021, at 7:11 PM
  • Referring to the above link, what was it that P.T. Barnum said?

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Mon, Mar 15, 2021, at 7:26 PM
  • The whole Biden admin is trash. He’s, simply, a puppet. In less than a year he will be booted so the evil sisters can take over. Also, this state of cancel culture is ridiculous. Whatever happened to live and let live?! NeverMind, “I’ll circle back to that.”

    -- Posted by Hmmmmm on Mon, Mar 15, 2021, at 7:37 PM
  • *

    Ahh yes the good old cancel culture statement. Brought to you by KISS, Harry Potter, The Dixie Chicks, Nike, Colin Kapernick, Tele Tubbies, Magic the Gathering, Keurig, Apple, Goodyear, The Ellen Show, Starbucks, NBA, NFL, Taylor Swift, Planned Parenthood, Freedom Fries and most of all Science.

    -- Posted by RSOTS on Mon, Mar 15, 2021, at 10:39 PM
  • *

    On a positive note:

    There are quite a few people on here that understand economics.

    :)

    Venezuela is printing million-bolivar notes...b/c it worked so well in Zimbabwe, who went so far as to print 100 Trillion notes.

    We ain't there yet...but it seems someone is trying.

    -- Posted by dreadpirateroberts on Tue, Mar 16, 2021, at 11:09 PM
  • Liberal/ Leftists don't like it when non liberal/ leftists steal from their playbook!

    -- Posted by beg on Wed, Mar 17, 2021, at 12:15 AM
  • beg- seriously, you are obsessed with this Liberal/Leftist thing...show us on the doll where the liberal/leftist hurt you.

    -- Posted by BJCP96 on Wed, Mar 17, 2021, at 8:29 AM
  • Are you sure I am obsessed or providing education, observation, perspective, etc? Are you obsessed that I refer to liberal/ leftist theology? I will give you 3 that have had direct impact on me for you to ponder but there are more:

    Education

    Taxation

    Regulation

    -- Posted by beg on Wed, Mar 17, 2021, at 9:47 AM
  • BJCP96, you need to look in a mirror before you accuse someone else of being obsessed with liberalism and the left.

    -- Posted by Prince of Stardust Hills on Wed, Mar 17, 2021, at 9:56 AM
  • The only thing I'm obsessed with is picking a winning NCAA basketball tournament bracket.

    Also, I'm sorry to say, I cannot look into mirrors, for when I do I dont see a reflection. The smell of garlic really bothers me too lately, ever since that bat bite me in the attic.

    -- Posted by BJCP96 on Wed, Mar 17, 2021, at 10:37 AM
  • I will add a fourth for your amusement- science

    Agenda driven science and the ignoring of non agenda science have wrought havoc on innovation in my industry and brought undo cost on innovation via regulation.

    The majority (admittedly not all) of the innovation actually contributes to the solutions for the issues that the agenda driven science crowd and those who ignore non agenda science supposedly champion.

    In reality, they only champion the issues to make a living rather than contribute to providing and allowing legit solutions to move forward. In essence, we only want solutions we gain from financially. If we can't, we will either find ways to redistribute the rewards for developing solution based innovation or just bog them down with agenda driven science to cancel to mislabel the innovation or create regulations so suffocating that the innovation is abandoned. (No, not all regulation is bad and, yes, regulation is needed. Just being proactive to deflection attempts)

    I can share from many discussions with leadership from these groups that they claim leftist/ liberal as their political ideology.

    So there is a real issue. I can share the innovation is political neutral so no reason to try and travel that road.

    I have shared facts, not fiction.

    I feel comfortable that I have answered your question.

    Enjoy your Wednesday, stay away from mirrors, and keep enjoying the garlic!

    -- Posted by beg on Wed, Mar 17, 2021, at 3:32 PM
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