Snohomish County

    County Council

Nate Nehring, Chair

Stephanie Wright, Vice-Chair

Sam Low

Megan Dunn 

Jared Mead 

Contact:
Cassie Fannin                           Kent Patton
Council PIO                               Executive Communications Director

Cassie.Fannin@snoco.org        Kent.Patton@snoco.org

Snohomish County Council Appropriates $73m of CARES Act Relief Funds

After a series of special meetings between the Snohomish County Council, County Executive Dave Somers, department directors, and staff regarding the allocation of Federal CARES Act Funds, the Snohomish County Council passed an ordinance to direct initial CARES Act funds and an amendment explaining dollar amounts and where those dollars will be spent.

The Council has appropriated $73m of CARES Act funds with this ordinance. A breakdown of dollar amounts is below.

• $27m for economic stabilization
• $20m for public health/medical response
• $10m for the Snohomish Health District
• $10m for human/social services + housing
• $6m for essential government services

“Today we were able to appropriate much-needed relief funds for our residents and businesses,” said Council Chair Nehring. “I believe the $27 million directed toward economic stabilization can have a great impact as we look to support our small businesses during this difficult time.”

“I thank the Council for their support of our COVID-19 response proposal,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “We know this pandemic has had a devastating impact throughout the county. We must continue to take quick action to provide support to those most in need. We will continue to look for ways to provide relief for our front-line workers, our small businesses, and our residents who have been affected by COVID-19. This is a good start.”

“Small businesses and the many jobs they provide have been decimated. Getting grants out to them quickly and efficiently has been one of my top priorities,” said Councilmember Sam Low.

“As the County responds to this crisis, I’m prioritizing meeting the immediate needs of those who have been bearing the brunt of this crisis,” said Councilmember Megan Dunn. “Our small businesses and low wage workers have been impacted the most, many of whom are on the brink of losing their businesses or housing. Getting these essential funds to the least economically stable is imperative to provide relief to our workforce and stabilize our communities.”

“This is a great example of the good government can do when we work together,” said Councilmember Jared Mead. “I want to thank Executive Somers and his team for bringing this proposal to the Council and working with us to ensure we can get relief out to Snohomish County residents who need it as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

"These funds will help our small businesses and vulnerable communities with the impacts of COVID-19," said Council Vice-Chair Stephanie Wright. "Providing additional resources to the Health District allows for the expanded testing that will be key to our economic recovery."

The Council is working diligently to appropriate remaining funds as soon as possible. Workshops for further conversations will continue to be scheduled. These meetings are open to the public and are being hosted on Zoom. If you would like to attend, please visit our webpage regularly to find dates and times for the meetings and links to join, or follow us on Facebook.

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/2288/Meetings-Webcasts

https://www.facebook.com/snohomishcountycouncil