Did Montana’s Smallest Town Turn Down Its COVID Relief Money?

Since COVID began, there have been a few efforts by the government to offer relief to its citizens in the form of stimulus checks or federal grants. And back in March, the American Rescue Plan Act was put into effect, which meant that billions of dollars would be pumped into Montana for education, infrastructure, and other necessities.

The money was set to be distributed all over, with each town receiving a certain amount based on their size and population. But on Montana town decided, "You know what, no thanks - we're good on that front."

That would be the town of Ismay, the smallest town in the entire state - which currently has a population of just 17 people. Ismay was set to receive exactly $4853.35 (not sure why the government doesn't just round up or down when distributing this money, because that's a pretty weird number), but they've turned it down.

The town of Ismay has refused the money because they simply don't need it. They don't have the infrastructure or building maintenance or general upkeep that larger cities might have - according to Mayor Gene Nemitz, they've just got a few gravel streets to look after and a couple of streetlights that stay lit. Nemitz figures the money should go to someone who'll actually use it.

And hey, as long as the town's not hurting, that makes sense. Though roughly $4800 is a much smaller sum than what they're getting in, say, Billings - which is about $15.9 million. Let's see them try to turn THAT money down.