(La Porte County, IN) - A financial expert will guide La Porte County government in its spending of federal COVID-19 relief funds.  Cender & Company out of Merrillville has been hired.

La Porte County Commissioner Rich Mrozinski said an expert is needed to explain exactly how the funds can and cannot be spent because of the rules being complicated.  “There’s a lot of stipulations that come with this money.  They don’t just say, here.  Go ahead and have a good time,” he said.

Mrozinski says about half of the $21 million will go to replenish county funds depleted by spending caused by the pandemic.  Decisions on the remainder of the cash will come later.

“We want to make sure we’re doing this right.  You don’t want to get in trouble spending federal money the way it’s supposed to be,” he said.