Nevada counties, cities to split nearly $150M in COVID-19 grants

CARSON CITY – Nevada counties and incorporated cities outside of Clark and Las Vegas will evenly divide about $148.5 million in federal COVID-19 assistance based on population, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Thursday.

The federal CARES Act grants, doled out on a per capita basis, amount to about $183 per person in 16 counties and 13 cities, based on 2019 census estimates. The amounts range from just over $86 million for Washoe County, including the cities of Reno and Sparks, with a population over 470,000, to $159,428 for Esmerelda County, with an estimated 2019 population of 873.

The money will help counties and cities recover incurred expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic and pay eligible expenses going forward. It will be distributed “in the coming weeks,” according to a statement from the governor’s office.

“COVID-19 has spared no corner of the State with its devastating physical and economic impacts,” the governor said in the statement. “Nevadans took quick and decisive action to help slow the spread of the virus and save lives and now we are able to begin the financial recovery.”

Both Clark County and Las Vegas, with populations greater than 500,000, received direct allocations under the CARES Act. Clark received about $295 million and Las Vegas $119 million. Nevada 0verall received $1.25 billion in CARES Act funds.

Here are the amounts for counties and cities:

— Washoe (Reno, Sparks): $86.11 million

— Lyon (Fernley, Yerington): $10.5 million

— Carson City: $10.21 million

— Elko (Carlin, Elko, Wells, West Wendover): $9.64 million

— Douglas: $8.93 million

— Nye: $8.5 million

— Churchill (Fallon): $4.55 million

— Humboldt (Winnemucca): $3.07 million

— White Pine (Ely): $1.75 million

— Pershing (Lovelock): $1.23 million

— Lander: $1.01 million

— Lincoln (Caliente): $946,523

— Mineral: $822,706

— Storey: $752,945

— Eureka: $370,537

— Esmeralda: $159,428

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Bill Dentzer at bdentzer@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DentzerNews on Twitter.