Spokane city officials today [Tuesday] launched a new survey to ask residents how the city should spend its federal coronavirus relief money.
Mayor Nadine Woodward says the city received $6.6 million in CARES Act money. She says her office and the city council have identified three basic priorities, housing assistance, child care and homelessness, for some of that. Now, she says the city is asking people if they agree or have other priorities.
Spokane County has already allocated several million to the health district and to local businesses. Council President Breean Beggs says some of the city money could also be routed to small businesses.
“I’m imagining we’ll be looking for those types of businesses that maybe weren’t funded by the county," Beggs said. "So there will be potential for overlap. I’m still hoping that the county will provide financial support for housing, both for landlords and tenants. They’ve still got quite a bit of money and there’s a huge need.”
The city has posted the nine-question survey on its website and will keep it there until Sunday. Beggs says the city council may begin talking about survey results and allocating CARES Act money as early as Monday.
The city is also looking for other sources of money to pay its coronavirus-related expenses, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They say the city could collect up to three-and-a-half million additional dollars there.