AZ Mayors: Cities have used COVID-19 relief money responsibly, but our work isn't done

KATE GALLEGO AND JOHN GILES, CONTRIBUTORS - AZCENTRAL

Cities in Arizona – like many communities across America – are grappling with the immense challenges brought on by a deadly, unforgiving and unpredictable health crisis.

The devastation from COVID-19 has taken too many lives, too many jobs and has caused too many people to lose their homes. Long lines at our community food banks have become an all too familiar scene.

We see older residents struggling with isolation, and small business owners unsure how they will meet payroll because of the mounting concerns of this health crisis. We see students, teachers and parents working through challenging learning environments — especially those in low-income ZIP codes.

For those of us leading cities, we see these challenges up close and personal: friends, family, coworkers, neighbors — no one has gone untouched by the pandemic. Mourning for the way our lives used to be is universal.

It’s possible to turn the tide on COVID-19, but it requires containing the virus through rapid, mass vaccinations while also giving people the direct relief they need to get back on their feet. There is no time for half-measures. An anemic federal relief bill could prolong the suffering. This is a five-alarm fire, and we cannot respond with a garden hose.

It is why we believe Congress must act now to pass the American Rescue Plan.

The American Rescue Plan that President Biden has put forth is the emergency response we need. It’s a multipronged approach to get our cities back on their feet by tackling the public health and economic crises simultaneously.

First and foremost, the bill provides the resources we need to speed up vaccine distribution and end this pandemic. This is a key piece, but it’s part of an overall strategy to return stronger.

The American Rescue Plan puts money directly in the hands of people who desperately need it — $1,400 to the hardest-hit Arizonans.

It extends unemployment insurance benefits to the tens of thousands of Arizonans looking to these benefits as a lifeline. It provides rental assistance for working families and tenants. It provides affordable child care that will allow our working parents to get back to the job site along with additional emergency nutrition assistance to families. 

We have shown ourselves to be trusted stewards of taxpayer dollars. Both our cities received millions in 2020 CARES Act funding.

The city of Mesa immediately put its CARES dollars into action to help those affected by the pandemic. The funds helped bridge the gap for renters and homeowners in danger of eviction or foreclosure, provided small businesses (including local restaurants) with innovative programs to survive uncertain times and provided laptops for thousands of young students faced with the challenge of remote learning.

Phoenix, throughout the pandemic, has acted quickly to distribute these federal resources. We took extra steps to extend aid to businesses that needed help but had trouble meeting the federal requirements for aid. We used transit assistance to ensure first-responders and essential workers could still get to the job site.

As mayors, we need Congress to understand that we will treat this new American Rescue Plan funding with the same respect. We also need them to understand it is a necessity for states and cities.

It will mean paychecks for our cops and firefighters, for our nurses and for our educators. The grants for small businesses are vital to ensuring that Arizona’s economic recovery is sustainable.

Sure, the American Rescue Plan is ambitious, but the novel coronavirus pandemic – and the pain being felt across our state – calls for a bold solution.

We urge Congress to meet this moment. Pass this bill now. Provide this much-needed relief to communities across Arizona.

Read the original Op-Ed here.