Nora Mishanec is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the federal government will reimburse Columbia and Greene counties for most COVID-19 expenses, officials said April 14. County expenditures related to the COVID-19 pandemic include the purchase of personal protective gear for health workers, and costs run up by health departments and emergency operation centers. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reimburses 75 percent of those costs, said Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties. “The local governments would submit expenditures to the state, and the state would then have to submit those costs to the federal government,” Acquario said at a press conference. “The county cannot submit directly to FEMA.” Officials in Columbia and Greene counties are awaiting further instruction from the state on how FEMA reimbursements will be approved and distributed. The reimbursements will not cover lost revenue, however, Acquario said. “We could potentially have a pretty large budget hole,” said Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell. Greene County, which had a budget surplus before the pandemic began, is also expecting a loss. Both counties are developing ways to address the budget shortfalls. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com