KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mayor Quinton Lucas has announced that the city has received $18 million from Jackson County in funding from the federal CARES Act, which was given to support communities through the pandemic.
“Our first $18M of CARES Act funding from Jackson County has now been received,” Lucas stated on Twitter. “Thank you, Jackson County.”
The CARES Act is another name for the $2.2 trillion stimulus package Congress passed and Trump signed in late March, four and a half months ago.
Mayor Lucas tweeted on Aug. 2 that the city started asking Jackson County for the funds in late April. On Monday, May 18, Lucas spoke the the county legislation, requesting an excess of $50 million of CARES Act funding. It’s unclear if and when the county will make additional funds available.
“Our initial request was $54M,” Lucas said in a tweet in the same thread. “We will work with County leaders to get these necessary funds ($36 million) to the public.”
Lucas stated that the money would be split between “direct governmental COVID expenses,” the health department, the fire and police departments, sanitation, small business assistance and housing assistance. Some of the pandemic-related expenses include increased testing capability.
It took nearly as long for neighboring Clay County to deliver funds to KC. Leaders delivered $5 million in federal aid on Aug. 10.
Part of the delay is due to the way Kansas City is situated. Lucas admitted he was frustrated in May when Kansas City’s funding future was left to the four counties in which the city makes its home, yet St. Louis immediately received its $35 million in funding. Two reasons lead to the disparity, including an outdated population count.