ICYMI: Bi-Partisan Mayors From Across the Country are Calling on Congress to Take Immediate Action in Passing Biden's Recovery Plan to Save America's Hometowns

Today, over 340 American Mayors made a plea to the United States Congress to pass the American Recovery Plan to assist them in providing for and protecting their communities that have been hit hard and desperately need support from the federal government. From testing shortages to small business closures and navigating a virtual education system for our youngest - mayors have been at the forefront of this battle and have seen firsthand how this pandemic has hit some of our most vulnerable neighbors.

"We've been sounding the alarm for months that big cities and small towns everywhere are struggling as a direct consequence of this pandemic," said USCM President and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. "President Biden understands that cities are the key to our nation's economic recovery, and that without direct fiscal assistance, we'll drag, not drive the economy for years to come. Congress must follow President Biden's lead and give cities the assistance they need to defeat the virus and build a sound foundation for recovery."

"It is not true that this is a big city or a blue state problem," said Arlington (TX) Mayor Jeff Williams. "That's nonsense. I can tell you there are Republican mayors just like me who are in immediate need of fiscal relief. I can tell you there are cities all across Texas, big and small, that are all facing the same crunch…Just as no small business could have foreseen what would have happened, no city could have planned for a crisis of this scale."

"Our budgets are under extreme stress … our expenses are skyrocketing … our essential life-saving services are through the roof," said USCM Vice President and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. "President Biden has put forth an aggressive plan to contain the virus and rebuild our economy. We are so looking forward to partnering with his administration to do just that, but we can't do the partnership without help now. This is it. This is the moment. Cities are the backbone of the American economy, and if we want to build back better, we cannot let what's left of the foundation crumble."

Read the full article here.

USA Today: Mayors call for immediate passage of Biden's COVID-19 relief bill
[By Joey Garrison, 1/28/2021]

Facing budget shortfalls and reduced city services, America's mayors made an urgent plea Thursday for Congress to quickly pass President Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief bill, which would provide $350 billion in direct aid for city and state governments.

"This is it. This is the moment," said Dayton, Ohio, Mayor Nan Whaley, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in a conference call with media. "Cities are the backbone of the American economy. If we want to be able to build back better, we can't let what's left of the foundation crumble."

Mayors said the sagging economy as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has decreased sales, property and income tax collections across the country.

Some cities have laid off city employees. Others have made cuts to waste collection, public transit, hours of government services or canceled infrastructure projects and put off hiring new police officers and firefighters.

"Every day that is delayed, more consequences are being realized, and very much negative consequences," said Arlington, Texas, Mayor Jeff Williams. He called on Congress not to put off aid any longer. "Next time needs to be now."

Although some states and cities have experienced greater revenue intakes than forecasted last spring in the early weeks of the pandemic, local leaders said they are still crunched.

Tacoma, Washington, Mayor Victoria Woodards, citing a survey from the National League of Cities, said 90% of municipal governments have experienced a revenue decrease of at least 21% and 76% of cities have experienced an expenditure increase of 17%.

"We cannot leave – I repeat, we cannot leave – America's hometowns behind," Woodards said. "And we need Congress to act, not yesterday, not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, but we need them to act now."

The $900 billion relief package that Congress passed in December did not include direct aid for cash-starved local and state governments, which Democrats have been pushing. Only 38 cities received direct federal assistance from former President Donald Trump's Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that passed last March, according to Whaley.

More than 370 mayors this month signed a letter urging Congress to take "immediate action" on Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The White House has indicated it hopes for passage by March. But while congressional Democrats are firmly behind the legislation, no Senate Republicans have offered their support.

Thursday's call also included DeKalb County, Georgia, Commissioner Larry Johnson; Clark County, Nevada, Commission Chair Marilyn Kirkpatrick; and Union City, Georgia, Mayor Vince Williams.