Orange County NC Website
15 <br /> 2. Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including <br /> economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the <br /> public sector; <br /> 3. Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to <br /> the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic; <br /> 4. Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who <br /> have borne and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical <br /> infrastructure sectors; and, <br /> 5. Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to <br /> improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater <br /> infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet. <br /> The interim guidance also indicates that the funds may be used to support education programs <br /> aimed at addressing educational disparities and child care programs that promote healthy <br /> childhood environments including: <br /> 1. Addressing educational disparities through new or expanded early learning services, <br /> providing additional resources to high-poverty school districts, and offering educational <br /> services like tutoring or afterschool programs as well as services to address social, <br /> emotional, and mental health needs; and, <br /> 2. Promoting healthy childhood environments, including new or expanded high quality <br /> childcare, home visiting programs for families with young children, and enhanced <br /> services for child welfare-involved families and foster youth <br /> County departments were asked to submit proposals consistent with the interim guidance and <br /> the goals established by the Board of Commissioners in prior funding allocations. County <br /> departments submitted requests totaling over$44 million. In addition to these proposals, the <br /> Board of Commissioners approved budget amendments for FY2021-22 allocating $5,320,000 to <br /> support a broadband infrastructure project, an economic assistance program for property tax <br /> relief, and staffing for the Small Business Center at the Orange County Campus of Durham <br /> Technical Community College. <br /> This abstract provides two options for allocating the funds. The first option (Attachment 1) <br /> takes an incremental approach to funding decisions. It funds the items approved in the FY2021- <br /> 22 Budget, including $5.3 million in budget amendments, as well as situations where funding will <br /> be required to close FY2020-21 in a positive fund balance positon and initiatives that require <br /> funding between the date of adoption and November 1, 2021. <br /> This option contemplates another review of funding allocations in September and October which <br /> may result in additional allocations during the FY2021-22 fiscal year. In total, this option <br /> allocates $12,366,261 and preserves $16,473,461 for future funding decisions. <br /> The second option (Attachment 2) accelerates funding allocations to provide most funding in <br /> the first two years of the plan. This option is limited by cash flow availability in the first year as <br /> the County has only accepted approximately $14.4 million of its total $28.8 million allocation in <br /> FY2021-22. As a result, the broadband infrastructure project is divided over two fiscal years, <br /> and funds for emergency housing assistance direct payments are reduced by $750,000 from the <br />