Stimulus Checks: Future Payments Could Come From Local Governments

Americans across the country have already begun to receive their stimulus checks. While many are still waiting to receive their own, there have been plenty of discussions about whether a second round of stimulus checks is on the way. The United States federal government has not yet revealed any concrete plans for additional payments to American taxpayers. However, according to a report from Money, you could possibly receive payments from your local governments instead.

According to Money, some local governments around the country are already preparing to grant additional payments to various residents. Mayor Lenny Curry of Jacksonville, Florida, announced in late April that the city would be offering payments to specific individuals in order to help get them through this coronavirus crisis. Jacksonville is reportedly offering $1,000 to residents who make less than $75,000 per year and who lost 25 percent of their income due to the health pandemic. These payments will be given out to 40,000 households on a first-come, first-served basis.

Commissioner James Noack in Montgomery County, Texas, is reportedly trying to implement a similar program. He is reportedly lobbying for a portion of the county CARES Act funds (the funds that are entitled to the county under the White House and Congress' $2 trillion stimulus package) to be handed out in checks to residents. Noack explained that the amount of each check would be based on the percentage of last year's county property taxes. Noack said, "These federal funds are not a gift to Montgomery taxpayers. These are their dollars; and the best use of these funds is to put them back in their hands."

Even though there has been no concrete plan in place for an additional payment to United States citizens, members of Congress have indeed offered up proposals for a second round of payments. In mid-April, Rep. Tim Ryan, Rep. Ro Khanna, and 17 other Democratic co-sponsors proposed a plan called the Emergency Money for the People Act. Their plan would entail that eligible Americans would receive $2,000 per month over the course of six months (or until the pandemic subsides). It should be noted that this plan has yet to make it through the entire legislative process.

"The economic impact of this virus is unprecedented for our country. As millions of Americans file for unemployment week over week, we have to work quickly to patch the dam – and that means putting cash in the hands of hard-working families," Rep. Ryan said in a press release. "Many Ohioans are just receiving – or about to receive – the first cash payment we passed in the CARES Act. Now it's time for Congress to get to work on the next step to provide relief for those who have been hardest hit in this pandemic."