PennLive: 15 mayors, including Harrisburg’s, ask for $250 billion in federal money to manage COVID-19 impact

JANA BENSCOTER, PENNLIVE

Fifteen Pennsylvania mayors penned a letter to the state’s congressional representation telling them they are counting on them to pass a "local government fiscal assistance bill of at least $250 billion for the coming year” in the next Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security legislative relief package.

"We ask that these funds go directly to cities like ours so that we may obtain these critical funds as soon as possible, and have the flexibility to ensure that we can continue to provide essential police, fire, public health, and public works services for our residents as this crisis continues,” according to the letter.

Mayors representing Allentown, Altoona, Bethlehem, Chester, Easton, Erie, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Scranton, Wilkes Barre, Williamsport, and York signed the letter. In it, they noted that “regional economies account for over 92 percent of the Commonwealth’s economic output.”

“State and local governments have been, and will continue to be, on the forefront of combatting the COVID-19 virus,” according to the letter. “While we continue to fight the pandemic and mitigate its spread, we are also planning for reopening our economies, reimagining how to bring back social engagement and a sense of certainty to our communities, and addressing potentially catastrophic drop-offs in revenues. Many of us are facing percentage revenue shortfalls in the high teens and greater, with dire long-term budget forecasts as the country moves into recession. This is an untenable situation and could quickly become a national emergency.”

Local economies will play a part in how the state recovers from the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mayors said. Financial support from Washington, D.C. will matter, they added.

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