Five commissioners in Georgia’s third most populous county this week took direct action to stimulate the economy by unanimously approving over $50 million in federal aid to combat the economic fallout from COVID-19. Businesses with 100 or less employees can now apply for a grant of up to $40,000 to keep workers on their payroll.
In addition, commissioners also approved spending $1.6 million for rental assistance for low-income families facing eviction from “qualified apartment communities.”
Republican Commissioner Bob Ott, assisted by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, put the package together using money available from the congressionally-approved CARES Act. Ott tells InsiderAdvantage that the funds, however, will not be available to businesses that have already received loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program or the Small Business Administration.
The Cobb Chamber of Commerce will get $500,000 for helping to administer the aid and Ott says applications will be reviewed by a panel chosen by the Chamber and the County Commission. The commissioner, who is not running for re-election, tells InsiderAdvantage he is proud that Cobb is a leader at the local level in Georgia to help reinvigorate the economy.
