SE Valley Times

Mesa's plans to spend $90 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding by supporting public safety for residents and officials, and helping businesses survive during the crisis, according to AZ Central. 

Moreover, some will go toward providing food help for those unemployed, and some will be added to boost remote learning for students.

Mesa is one of five cities and counties in Arizona that has a population of more than 500,000 residents that got grant money from the federal government. The grant came through the Coronavirus Relief Fund. The fund is a part of Congress' $2.1 trillion CARES Act package.

According to AZ Central, federal funding can only cover costs that are expenditures acquired due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mike Hutchinson, who is the vice president of PHX East Valley Partnership, said Mesa is on the right track amid the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis. 

“It’s a lot more complicated than just getting money and putting it out the door. There are criteria and fairness, so I think they’re doing great things,” Hutchinson told AZ Central. "There's always more needs than you can usually fund, but I think they're on track." 

Additionally, Mayor John Giles said the $90 million is a "wonderful blessing" and a "wonderful challenge" to efficiently use.