COVID-19 Action Alert – Urge Congress to Provide Direct Federal Fiscal Relief for Counties!
December 7, 2020
Congressional negotiators are moving closer to reaching an agreement on a COVID-19 relief legislative package. It is vital that county leaders contact their Members of Congress to ensure that this stimulus package provides another round of COVID-19 fiscal aid for states and local governments.
Urgent Call to Action
County officials are encouraged to contact their Member of Congress TODAY to urge them to support the inclusion of direct, flexible federal financial support to all counties. Below are key talking points:
- Counties remain on the frontlines of responding to the COVID-19 public health crisis as coronavirus caseloads surge across our state.
- County budgets have been dramatically impacted by the pandemic and economic downturn, and these revenues fund critical safety net services, including health, behavioral health, social services, and public safety programs.
- Additional direct relief to all California
counties is needed in order to preserve the local safety net and
mitigate increases in demands for the county-administered
services that hold local communities together.
- CSAC supports the county allocation formula (population-based methodology) and county-city funding split (50-50) as outlined in the HEROES Act.
- Without additional federal support, there will be dire consequences, including employee layoffs and cuts to safety-net services.
- It is critical that Congress provide robust and flexible funding to all counties in the next and final COVID-19 relief package of 2020.
CSAC recently sent correspondence to the California congressional delegation urging Members to provide a fresh infusion of federal fiscal aid to counties. The letter also requests that entities be permitted to use federal funds to cover COVID-19-related expenditures and lost revenues resulting from the public health crisis. Finally, the letter requests additional flexibility on the use of Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars under the CARES Act.
Please consider using CSAC’s correspondence as a template for a county letter to your Members of Congress along with key details regarding the response, recovery, and budget impacts in your county.