GOFERR to distribute $40 million to communities impacted by COVID-19

Concord, NH – Governor Chris Sununu announced Monday that the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery has allocated $40 million in CARES Act flex funds to cover COVID-19 related expenses incurred in municipalities and counties between March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020.

Additional information about this disbursement is available at www.goferr.nh.gov/cares-act/municipal-county-payments.

CARES Act “Flex” Funds Disbursement to Local Governments Overview

• The Governor has authorized the allocation and expenditure of $32 million to municipalities, and $8 million to counties, to cover COVID-19-related expenses incurred from March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020.
• These amounts are based on actual and estimated expense data provided by municipalities and counties.
• The allocations have been made available to all municipalities/counties based on 2018 population figures from the Office of Strategic Initiatives.
• Local governments must submit reimbursement requests to GOFERR by email (using a form created by GOFERR), including expense details/explanations, estimates, if applicable, and supporting documentation.
• GOFERR will only accept reimbursement requests in May, July, and September, as follows:
  • By June 1, 2020, for expenses incurred from March 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020.
  • By July 15, 2020, for expenses incurred from May 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020.
  • By September 15, 2020, for expenses incurred from July 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020.
• GOFERR will make every effort to issue all checks within 30 days after receipt of the request.
• Local governments will only be reimbursed for COVID-19-related expenses actually incurred, but only up to the amounts allocated based on population figures.  No local government can receive total reimbursements exceeding its allocated amount.      
• For example, if $100,000 was allocated to municipality A, municipality A could not be reimbursed for eligible expenses totaling more than $100,000, even if Municipality A’s eligible expenses from March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020 amount to $200,000.  In addition, if municipality A incurs $90,000 of eligible expenses from March 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020, municipality A would be reimbursed $90,000 in May, but only up to $10,000 in July and/or September, depending on if and when municipality A incurs additional expenses.
• In September, local governments will be required to estimate the additional COVID-19-related expenses they will incur through December 31, 2020.  GOFERR will use this information in considering whether further relief might be needed after August 31, 2020.
• Any amount allocated that exceeds the eligible expenses submitted for reimbursement by a local government from March 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020, will, after August 31, 2020, lapse back to the State for other disbursement.