Federal funds head to reimburse DuPage municipalities for COVID-19 related expenses

Above / DuPage County Board votes to allocate $43 million for COVID-19 relief for municipalities, including $5,011,217.28 for the City of Naperville.

Wheaton – The DuPage County Board voted this week to allocate $43 million in federal relief funds to reimburse DuPage municipalities for qualifying expenses incurred due to the COVID-19 response.

DuPage County received more than $161 million in federal funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and was the only government agency in the county to receive a direct allocation from Congress. The DuPage County Board established the Local Government Municipal COVID-19 Reimbursement Program to provide a portion of these federal funds to assist DuPage cities, towns and villages, recognizing the increased expenses all local governments have incurred as they provide government services during the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 response has stressed all government budgets, particularly those providing day-to-day service to our community residents,” stated County Board Chairman Dan Cronin in a news release. “We are pleased to provide our municipal partners with financial relief as they continue to carry out their vital mission, serving and protecting the residents of this County.”

“We’re grateful to the DuPage County Board for recognizing the importance of partnering with the DuPage municipal leaders and providing this much-needed financial relief. While we work together through this unprecedented public health crisis, we are dedicated to utilizing these funds wisely to provide safety and services for the benefit of our residents,” added Willowbrook Mayor Frank Trilla, who serves as President of the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference.

Municipal governments are required to submit eligible expenses that were incurred due to the COVID-19 public health response. COVID-19-related expenses may include sanitizing village hall, public buildings, or emergency vehicles; technology costs related to working from home and social distancing requirements; increased costs of police and fire response; purchase of personal protection equipment; and many other costs.

Expenses submitted by municipalities will be reviewed by the County Auditor’s Office and a third-party auditor. The expenses must not have been accounted for in the municipality’s most recently approved budget and funds must be spent by Dec. 30, 2020.

Municipalities will receive $51.84 per capita, which is more than the $41.50 the state is reimbursing agencies through its Local Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Program.

Intergovernmental Agreements Approved

DuPage County approved intergovernmental agreements with the following municipalities at its Tuesday Board meeting: Addison, Aurora, Bartlett, Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge, Carol Stream, Clarendon Hills, Darien, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Glendale Heights, Glen Ellyn, Hanover Park, Hinsdale, Itasca, Lemont, Lisle, Lombard, Naperville, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Roselle, St. Charles, Villa Park, Warrenville, Wayne, West Chicago, Westmont, Wheaton, Willowbrook, Winfield, Wood Dale and Woodridge.

Municipalities also will have to approve the agreements to receive funds.

Below is a spreadsheet of the total funds that have been allocated to each municipality.

Submitted by Evan Shields, Public Information Officer, DuPage County Board