Fort Myers City Council to discuss spending of $2.8M in stimulus

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc not just on personal finances, but on local cities. Fort Myers city leaders are now focusing on how they can spend money to keep you afloat.

Mayor Kevin Anderson says it has been a challenge, but departments have been good about tightening their belts and only spending when necessary. And he says the federal government’s stimulus packages have helped the city help you, too: The first round of stimulus money gave the city $700,000, which went to rental and utilities assistance.

In the past few weeks, Fort Myers learned it is earmarked to receive $2.8 million from the latest stimulus.

“That money is earmarked once again for housing assistance and utilities assistance, to do everything we can to make sure people are not becoming homeless because of the pandemic,” Anderson said. “So that those numbers don’t rise any more than they have to.”

At the start of the pandemic, then-Mayor Randy Henderson said the reserve funds would carry the city through without any significant cuts to services like the police and fire departments, and Anderson says that promise has held up.

The Fort Myers City Council will meet Monday at 4:30 p.m. Among the items on the agenda is how best to spend the new stimulus funds.