Gottheimer claws back federal COVID-19 relief dollars for tax cuts, small business relief, investment for every town and county
ALLENDALE BOROUGH, NJ (Bergen County) — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer Friday joined local small business and restaurant owners to unveil federal dollars clawed back from the new COVID-19 relief package. The bill, which has now been signed into law, includes federal dollars for every county and local government in the Fifth District, new relief for restaurants and businesses, investments in broadband and infrastructure improvements, direct checks for adults and children, and resources to safely reopen schools — all to help local economies and communities reopen and recover.
Gottheimer made the announcement outside Allendale Bar & Grill, alongside owners Chris Kunisch, Craig Kunisch, and Katie Ohnegian; Allendale Councilmember Jim Strauch, and Allendale Chamber of Commerce member Heidi Gross.
The Borough of Allendale will now receive more than $661,000 in direct federal COVID-19 relief. The Allendale Bar & Grill is one of the recipients of the 63,000+ federal PPP forgivable loans in New Jersey thus far — to help pay employees and keep their doors open during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Clawing back these federal COVID-19 relief dollars is a win for our communities, for our families, for our small businesses, and, most importantly, for our health. It will help us get to the other side of this pandemic. I believe we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, because we all know this hasn’t been an easy time for our country or for our state,” Gottheimer said.
“We’re clawing back millions of dollars to the Fifth District to help every single county and town government, get vaccines into more arms, bring critical dollars to our schools and to those who’ve lost their jobs or need help with child care. It will also inject essential investment into our communities, to help pay for cops, firefighters, and EMTs, and invest in local infrastructure, including to help boost broadband and help improve our old pipes and water infrastructure. It will also help lower health care premiums for those struggling during the pandemic. And every family who makes less than $160,000 dollars, will get a check sent to them, representing an enormous tax cut for middle class families,” Gottheimer said.
New Relief for Fifth District Counties & Towns:
- Bergen County:
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- Bergen County Government: $259.73 million
- Total to Individual Bergen Municipalities in the Fifth District: $53.28 million
- Passaic County:
- Passaic County Government: $97.33 million
- Total to the two Individual Passaic Municipalities in the Fifth District: $3.78 million
- Sussex County:
- Sussex County Government: $27.25 million
- Total to the Individual Sussex Municipalities in the Fifth District: $9.26 Million
- Warren County:
- Warren County Government: $20.42 million
- Total to the Individual Warren Municipalities in the Fifth District: $6.51 million
New Federal Relief for Restaurants & Small Businesses:
- Small Businesses:
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- $15 billion in new funding for Targeted EIDL grants, available to hard-hit, underserved small businesses.
- $7.25 billion in additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loans.
- Live Venues:
- $1.25 billion in grants for shuttered live venue operators.
- Restaurants:
- $28.66 billion a new program at the Small Business Administration — the Restaurant Revitalization Fund — to offer assistance to restaurants and bars hit hard by the pandemic.
- Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants will provide a maximum $10 million per restaurant group or $5 million per individual restaurant location. Eligible businesses include: restaurants and bars that are not part of an affiliated restaurant group with more than 20 locations, and are not publicly traded.
To learn more about new federal COVID-19 relief for North Jersey counties, towns, and communities, click here.
