First Youth Rep. Appointed to Main Street Board; City Plans to Use Covid Funds to Cover Police OT

Last Monday the La Grange City Council appointed Kendall Baker to the La Grange Main Street Advisory Board. Baker, a 17-year-old student at La Grange High School, will be the first youth representative to the Main Street board.

City Manager Shawn Raborn also updated Council on the first installment of federal reimbursement for local expenses related to the COVID-19 crisis. The money was allocated in the CARES Act, with was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Trump on March 27.

Raborn said the money will be allocated to city and county governments on a per capita basis of $55 per person. City and county governments will have to prove expenses related to COVID-19 in order to receive the funds. The Fayette County government could receive up to $854,260. The City of La Grange’s could receive up to $261,305.

Raborn said City Hall has been tracking its expenses related to the crisis.

“This is not a blank check,” he told the Council.

Cities and counties can apply for up to 20 percent of their allocation up front and then submit proof of the expenses at a later date. After that, all disbursements will require proof of actual COVID-19 expenses at the time of the request. Governor Greg Abbott’s instructions to the cities and counties state that they cannot use the money to fill shortfalls in revenue.

Raborn said one expense he plans to request reimbursement for right away is the cost of police overtime for providing security at the coronavirus testing site in the Fairgrounds.