KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Jackson County legislative committee met Monday to discuss the county’s next steps in disbursing CARES Act funding to the counties municipalities.
A county spokesperson said Monday the act next goes up for discussion next week. That discussion will include a recommendation to the full body, which can then take up the ordinance for a full vote.
The timeline has created frustration among some Jackson County municipal leaders.
"It's taking longer than I feel is appropriate," Independence Mayor Eileen Weir said. "I believe we are on week eight or nine since this money was released and these expenses are mounting.”
Cities like Kansas City, Missouri and Independence are still waiting on millions of dollars from the CARES Act.
"Jackson County received $122.6 million directly from the federal government for COVID relief efforts in Jackson County. Basically it's for unanticipated expenses," Jackson County, Missouri, County Administrator Troy Schulte said.
On Monday, the county legislature discussed what the money will do to help cities.
"It was introduced for their consideration, but the same rules apply to the cities as do the counties that they have to spend it only on direct COVID relief, they can't use it to off sent revenue losses," Schulte said.
Mayors in the county said they are in need of the money from the Act, which the county received in late April.
"We have plans this week to announce millions of dollars of funding that's going to go to support small businesses in the Clay County portion of Kansas City,” Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “Millions of dollars of money to help support neighborhood organizations in the Clay County portion of Kansas City. I would hope that my friends in Jackson County see that our shared residents and constituents and the Jackson County portion of Kansas City deserve the same thing.”
A county spokesperson defended the timeline, saying it represented the normal legislative process. The spokesperson also cited additional CARES act rules that county leaders wanted to make sure were being followed.
The mayor of Independence just wants some additional guidance.
"I am frustrated that at this late stage there still does not seem to be a clear pathway forward to getting this money into the community," Weir said.
