Public Safety and More Jobs at Significant Risk Without Direct Fiscal Assistance
Washington, DC – As talks progress on a bipartisan package to address the COVID-19 pandemic, America’s mayors are reiterating their urgent call to include resources for American cities of all sizes – large, medium and small—that have had their budgets decimated by the virus and its economic fallout. To date, most cities have received no direct federal assistance to help mitigate the budget crises caused directly by the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the economy. The result has been layoffs, furloughs, and cuts to critical services including public safety. Today, U.S. Conference of Mayors President and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer released the following statement:
“Mayors are pleased that Congress is finally coming together to discuss a bipartisan rescue package. It is now critical that lawmakers include direct, flexible assistance for cities of all sizes to respond to the surge of the coronavirus, offset Covid-related economic losses and spur economic recovery. The evidence that our recovery is already stalling underscores how this action is long overdue. Cities everywhere are hurting as a direct consequence of this pandemic, and a failure to provide assistance now would be an affirmative decision to put city employees, including first responders and other public safety officials, out of work. It will make it harder to overcome this virus, and without assistance from Washington, cities will be a drag on, not a driver of, the economy. We know that members from both sides of the aisle understand the critical nature of relief for cities, and again urge lawmakers to ensure there is direct fiscal assistance for cities of all sizes. Washington cannot leave for the holidays without getting this done.”