WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As negotiations
on the next COVID-19 legislative package drag on, cities across
America face the grim reality of continued payroll cuts and
reduction, or even elimination, of critical services. Today, the
U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) sent a letter to President
Donald Trump, reiterating a previous
request for $250 billion in urgently
needed direct, flexible assistance for cities of all sizes.
Led by USCM President Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, and the organization's leadership,
USCM Vice President Dayton Mayor Nan
Whaley and USCM Second Vice President Miami Mayor
Francis X. Suarez, 290 mayors signed
the letter. The signers lead cities large and small. They represent
every region of the country. And they are Republican, Democratic
and Independent.
To date, just 38 American cities have qualified for any direct
aid, and those that did qualify are unable to use those resources
to offset pandemic-driven budget shortfalls. Hundreds of cities
have already cut jobs and reduced or eliminated services. Without
immediate action, this devastating reality will worsen
exponentially.
In their letter to Congress, USCM leaders write:
"From the start, cities have been on the front lines of the
fight against this disease, coordinating local responses and
devoting significant resources to help keep people safe. At the
same time, as economies shut down, cities have experienced a
precipitous decline in tax revenue – the full impact of which
economists expect to grow. Together, these dynamics have decimated
city budgets in cities large and small.
"These budget gaps are a direct result of this pandemic, and
they are forcing painful decisions, including layoffs, furloughs,
and cuts to essential government services when our residents need
them the most. The situation is threatening public safety and
costing people jobs. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows
that close to 1.5 million Americans who work in state and local
government have entered unemployment since the pandemic
began…
"The virus knows no geographic boundaries or party
affiliation, and there are budget crises in every state and in
cities big and small.
"All of us want to rebound from this pandemic as quickly as
possible. But we cannot have a strong recovery without strong
cities."
A full copy of the letter can be found here, and the previous
budget request is here.
About the United States Conference of
Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors
is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations
of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the
country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by
its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook
at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on
Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.
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SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors