Even though the COVID-19 response and fallout has put a strain on federal and state finances, that won't stop important improvement projects from happening across Tennessee.
Governor Bill Lee announced Monday Tennessee will be issuing $200 million in grants to county and city governments to be put to use for various infrastructure and public safety projects.
“Capital maintenance, public safety and road projects don’t pause for disasters like the March tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gov. Lee. “This grant fund will ease the burden on local governments as they work to meet infrastructure and safety obligations.”
The grant money is being allocated based on population size reported to the U.S. Census for counties, cities and towns. Counties will receive at least $500,000 each, and each city or municipality will receive at least $30,000 when funds are made available after July 1.
The funding will be put to use on a number of projects, including IT hardware upgrades, facility maintenance, utility upgrades, road projects, equipment for law enforcement, and one-time expenses for response to COVID-19. Counties struck by last month's tornadoes will also be able to utilize it for various relief projects.
