State offering $300M to local governments to cover virus expenses Public Safety and Public Health Payroll Reimbursement Program
The State of Michigan will be providing $300 million in direct support for local governments impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to cover payroll costs and hazard pay for front line employees.
In May, the State received $3 billion in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act funding to cover COVID-19-related expenses. Another $800 million was shared between the City of Detroit and the counties of Kent, Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne.
On July 1, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Public Act 123 of 2020, which appropriated $100 million for the First Responder Hazard Pay Premiums Program and $200 million for the Public Safety and Public Health Payroll Reimbursement Program.
Effective immediately, eligible local governments can apply for a grant from the First Responder Hazard Pay Premiums Program and the Public Safety and Public Health Payroll Reimbursement Program.
First Responder Hazard Pay Premiums Program
The First Responder Hazard Pay Premiums Program offers $100 million to fund additional compensation for first responders. Eligible first responders performed hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship related to COVID-19.
Cities, villages, townships, counties, public airport operators and certain ambulance operators can be reimbursed up to $1,000 per eligible employee, with no single applicant receiving more than $5 million. Applications from qualifying units of government will be funded on a firstcome, first-served basis.
As of June 19, Oakland County had spent around $240,000 on hazard pay for its employees who were still reporting to work during the pandemic’s peak in southeast Michigan.
The application period runs through Sept. 30 with payments being made no later than Nov. 14. Applications are available at: https://www. michigan.gov/treasury.
Eligible hazard pay premiums must be paid to employees by September 30, 2020 to qualify for the program.
• Law Enforcement Officers
• Firefighters
• Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
• Paramedics
• 9-1-1 Operators
• Local Unit of Government Corrections Officers
• Airport Public Safety Officers
• Eligible personnel associated with ambulance operations licensed under section 20920 of the Public Health Code
• Private EMTs and paramedics who contract with municipalities or hospitals, if the hazard pay premiums are paid through the applicant
The Public Safety and Public Health Payroll Reimbursement Program makes available $200 million to reimburse cities, villages, townships and counties for eligible public safety and public health payroll expenditures incurred from April 2020 to July 2020.
The City of Detroit and Kent, Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties are not eligible for this program because they have already received direct CARES Act dollars to help with COVID-19 expenses.
The first application round will run from July 7-17 and be available for reimbursement of April and May 2020 eligible payroll expenditures. If funding is available after the first application round is completed, a second application round will be available for reimbursement of the June and July 2020 eligible payroll expenditures.
Round one funding will be dispersed by Sept. 18 while round two funding, if available, will be dispersed no later than Nov. 7. Applications are available at https://www.michigan.gov/treasury
Local Units of Government with questions about the grant programs can call the Treasury CARES Grant Programs Hotline at (517)-335-0155 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
As of June 19, Oakland County had spent around $240,000 on hazard pay for its employees who were still reporting to work during the pandemic’s peak in southeast Michigan.