County seeks public input for CARES Act funding
Survey available online

On June 10, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida would disburse up to $1.275 billion in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funding to county governments representing populations under 500,000 people. On June 26, the Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to allow the county access to its share of CARES Act funding.
 
Santa Rosa County is currently seeking input on how CARES Act funding should be utilized to best serve county residents and businesses. Individuals who live, work or own a business in the county may submit feedback by:

• Taking a short online survey.
• Attending a virtual stakeholder workshop. The workshop is tentatively scheduled for July 10. Details will be published to the county meeting calendar and subscribers will be notified via news release when the date and time are finalized.
• Sending written comments to CaresAct@santarosa.fl.gov.

A draft of the county’s CARES Act plan – based on local needs identified through community feedback and data-driven analysis – will be presented and available for public comment at the July 23 commission meeting. Applications for assistance are anticipated to open in August with emergency relief beginning shortly thereafter.

For questions, email CaresAct@santarosa.fl.gov or call Jared Lowe, 850-981-2017.