U.S. Mayors to Congress: This Crisis is Urgent, Cities Need Help Now

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As lawmakers in Washington debate the next coronavirus response package, critical resources for American cities hang in the balance. The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) continues to call on Congress to make federal support available to all U.S. cities.

A survey of cities released this week showed that because of this pandemic nearly every American city is seeing a precipitous drop in revenue. And without federal support, many will be forced to lay off employees and make cuts that will hurt public safety.

With local needs growing and resources shrinking, USCM President Bryan Barnett, Mayor of Rochester Hills, Michigan, released the following urgent statement:

"Every city in America is under enormous strain, and every city in America should be eligible for federal resources to help weather this crisis. We cannot allow another week to go by without critical support. We have urgent needs. This is not a tomorrow problem; this is a right now problem. The response on the ground is being coordinated by local and state officials who are devoting every available resource, just as much of our revenue is vanishing. Support for businesses during this crisis is important, but it is just as important to give cities the resources they need to fight the pandemic. There should be nothing controversial about helping the cities that are helping to defeat this virus. The president has said this response will be locally executed and federally supported. Cities are doing their job, and Congress should not delay sending the help they desperately need."

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 nearly 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.

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors