Laguna Beach Stimulus Package Grant Totals Announced

LAGUNA BEACH, CA— Increased stimulus monies are coming, and a new move to the red tier is no time to let the county's guard down, Orange County CEO Frank Kim said this week.

In Laguna Beach, the city is expecting a stimulus grant package totaling $4,296,683.

Congress approved the $1.9 trillion stimulus package which provides much-needed funding. In Orange County, down $200 million from the year of coronavirus according to Kim, cities will see an injection of cash for the budget hole created by COVID-19 related expenses.

Funding, per town, was determined through 2019 census figures. See the complete distribution of funds for all of California's 482 municipalities here.

Cities will receive the first half of their allocations approximately 60 days after enactment of the bill, with the second half to follow one year later, Calabasas Mayor James R. Bozajian reported over Patch. There are some limitations as to what the grants can be used for, though overall there is considerable flexibility," Bozajian reported. The total aid for all U.S. cities and counties is $130 billion, with incorporated cities receiving $65 billion of that amount.T

he projected amounts for Orange County cities are as follows:

• Aliso Viejo: $5,481,131.00
• Anaheim: $107,511,359.00
• Buena Park: $21,819,005.00
• Chino: $14,003,707.00
• Chino Hills: $10,392,935.00
• Costa Mesa: $28,334,392.00
• Dana Point: $6,320,135.00
• Fullerton: $34,725,762.00
• Garden Grove: $50,608,953.00
• Huntington Beach: $30,841,309.00
• Irvine: $53,184,022.00
• Laguna Beach: $4,296,683.00
• Laguna Hills: $5,874,034.00
• Laguna Niguel: $8,240,916.00
• Laguna Woods: $2,983,415.00
• Lake Forest: $12,809,140.00
• Los Alamitos: $2,145,612.00
• Mission Viejo; $9,522,954.00
• Newport Beach: $9,293,868.00
• Placentia: $9,643,490.00
• Rancho Santa Margarita: $5,174,369
• San Clemente: $8,876,999.00
• San Juan Capistrapistrano: $6,759,459.00
• Seal Beach: $4,497,899.00
• Stanton: $7,178,832.00
• Villa Park: $1,089,841.00
• Westminster: $24,907,513.00
• Yorba Linda: $2,732,502.00

Some of those expenses will be covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but the stimulus can cover the rest and also help defray expenses from future booster-shot campaigns and "other expenses" that can be expected over the next few years.

Orange County Officials estimated the county could receive nearly $616 million and cities in the county that receive CDBG funding could receive about $715 million.

"Now I don't have to worry whether I'll have FEMA support for booster shots for next year or the year after," Kim said. "We'll sit down and figure out how to appropriately budget this money over a multi-year period of time. The intent is to make sure it's available to ride out Covid for the next couple of years."

The federal funding will get specific directions on what it can use the money for, but since the county has been dipping into its general and rainy day funds to pay for testing and vaccine distribution, now this stimulus will at least indirectly help the county consider significant service cuts and layoffs, Kim said.