Columbia Commissioners Award Additional Small Business Grants
The Columbia County Commissioners have provided financial assistance to an additional 58 businesses impacted by COVID-19. A total of $399,026 in grants were awarded in the second round with funds provided by the CARES Act. Between the first and second rounds, 153 businesses received a total of $2,542,830 in assistance.
The Commissioners hired Harry Mathias, retired Central Columbia Superintendent, to develop recommendations for using the funds. The Chamber worked with Mathias to develop the program criteria for the small business grant program. “Kudos to the Columbia County Commissioners and Harry Mathias for allocating a significant portion of the County’s funding for small business relief,” said Fred Gaffney, Chamber president. “This program provided financial assistance at a critical time to help small businesses. The Central Susquehanna Community Foundation also did an outstanding job providing an online application process that was easy to use with a local contact to answer questions.”