$145 million in stimulus funds heading to Southwest Washington

Municipal governments in Southwest Washington are expected to receive a combined $145.29 million from the COVID-19 stimulus bill signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday.

The national package totaled $1.9 trillion, with $2.66 billion set aside for counties, cities and towns in Washington. According to the office of Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, allocations to the area’s local governments will include:

• $94.69 million for Clark County.

• $32.61 million for Vancouver.

• $5.32 million for Camas.

• $4.63 million for Battle Ground.

• $3.51 million for Washougal.

• $1.99 million for Ridgefield.

• $1.41 million for Woodland.

• $740,000 for La Center.

• $390,000 for Yacolt.

Small governments can use the funds to respond to the COVID-19 health crisis, adopt policies to stimulate business and increase pay for essential workers. They can also use the funds to shore up their budgets, backfilling any tax revenue missing as a result of the pandemic.

The funds amount to the most robust pandemic allocation yet for cities and counties. Clark County, for example, had previously received $26.8 million in May and another $9.7 million in September as part of past stimulus packages.

In a Thursday media release, Murray said that states, municipal governments and tribal governments need the additional resources in order to mount an effective response to the pandemic.

“Washington state families are relying on the people our state and local governments employ – whether it’s our health care workers, our teachers, EMS, transportation workers – to keep our families safe and healthy and our communities running as the work continues to end this pandemic,” Murray said.