Counties receive thousands in CARES Act funding

Counties in Iowa have received some financial help from federal CARES Act money.

The money is distributed by the state to counties to help reimburse them for COVID-19-related expenses.

Henry County received $252,000 in CARES Act money based on overtime paid to Public Health and Sheriff's Department employees.

Last week, Henry County Public Health Director Shelley Van Dorin told the Board of Supervisors that she feels that her department deserves a large share of that money.

'The Sheriff's Office had a lot more salary, so that's why they got a lot more money,” Van Dorin said. 'But, I don't think they were affected near like what Public Health was affected.”

Board Chairman Marc Lindeen explained that the CARES Act money the county received was a result of expenses from both the Sheriff's Office and Public Health.

'The Sheriff's Office and Public Health collaborated together to get us the CARES money,” Lindeen said. 'It went back into the general fund where all expenditures come out of.”

Van Dorin argued that Public Health has taken the brunt of the financial hit from the pandemic.

'I truly believe that we deserve some of that CARES money that we worked really hard to get,” she said. 'I don't think the sheriff's office went above and beyond. I always felt that we should get a little more of that.”

Lindeen responded, 'That's not the way the system works, so we have to abide by the system.”

Jefferson County received nearly $232,000 in CARES Act money earlier this month, according to Treasurer Mark Myers.

Melissa Fowler of the Jefferson County Auditor's Office explained what the money was for.

'We received CARES money from the state for Public Health payroll,” Fowler said. 'We also got money for reimbursement for expenses from COVID.”

Some of those expenses included masks, sanitizing supplies and Plexiglass shields for Courthouse offices.

Washington County Auditor Dan Widmer said that the county has received approximately $432,000 in CARES Act funds.

'The bulk has been, or will be used, to offset the cost of increased wage expenses related to responding to the effects of COVID,” Widmer said.