MT. VERNON, IL — Illinois has allocated funds to each community in the state through the Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency Support (CURES) Program. The City of Mt. Vernon has been awarded $630,222 to assist in recovery from COVID-19.

However, City Manager Mary Ellen Bechtel says the eligibility of approved expenses is narrow.

The City Council was scheduled to hear a first reading on the ordinance to enter into the CURES Program during their first monthly meeting on September 8th. The council decided to suspend the rules and pass the ordinance so the city could begin to work on ways to allocate the funds to those affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic.

Bechtel says other than the loss of revenue, the city hasn’t seen as much of a direct hit to anything specific that the funds would immediately help.

The council can apply for more funds in the future if the need arises and other communities are not using their allocated money.