The Los Angeles Post

Counties Welcome Coronavirus Relief Package with Essential Aid for Local Governments

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WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today introduced the Heroes Act, the potential next phase of relief for the coronavirus pandemic. The bill includes two separate, equal funds for counties and cities and provides $187.5 billion in vital relief to counties to address both lost revenue and increased expenditures as the result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) released the following statement. NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase said:

“We are grateful to Speaker Pelosi for introducing this much-needed bill. With vast public health, safety and economic recovery responsibilities, counties are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic response. This bill is a significant step in addressing the urgent needs of our nation’s county governments as we continue to provide essential services to more than 300 million residents.

“This crisis is also having unprecedented fiscal effects on America’s local governments, as our costs skyrocket and our revenues plummet. We found that the COVID-19 pandemic could impact county budgets by at least $144 billion, not including drops in property tax revenues or future cuts in state aid to counties, both major sources of county revenues. These budget impacts could result in job losses and service reductions in public health and safety, business support and overall community services.

“As counites continue to respond to the pandemic, we focus on public health and economic recovery over politics. We are committed to working in a bipartisan fashion to secure direct, flexible and equitable funding for counties of all sizes, with the shared goal of keeping our residents healthy and our communities safe and vibrant.

“We thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairwoman Lowey and Leader Schumer for their commitment to local governments.

“We call for strong bipartisan support and are encouraged by lawmakers in both parties working together to strengthen federal funding and resources for counties of all sizes. We urge the administration and Congress to unite in supporting relief efforts on the ground.”