May 20 Coalition Letter to Congressional Leadership advocating for economic relief funding for cities, towns, and villages

Abstract

Businesses and community organizations across our country depend on the economic strength and vitality of municipalities. Not only do our nation’s cities provide an anchor for local economic development, they also provide the essential services that our businesses depend on to remain competitive, including access to clean water, public safety, reliable infrastructure and a strong workforce base. Without a lifeline to recover and restore local economic activity, cities will be forced to make cuts to essential services that will have a ripple effect across the public and private sectors. We hope that we can rely on your leadership to support legislation that includes: • $500 billion over two years of federal aid for local governments. • Fair and direct funding allocations to each and every local government, with no exclusions based on population. • Equal funding overall for municipal governments and county governments. • Maximum flexibility for the eligible use of funds to address the budget consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.