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Mayors Letter to President Trump on Fiscal Assistance

Mayors Letter to President Trump on Fiscal Assistance

August 5, 2020

The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the The White House

Dear President Trump:

The United States Conference of – and the more than 1,400 cities it represents – is grateful for the actions the Administration and Congress have taken over the last several months to respond to COVID-19. We are also pleased that you recognize more must be done to address the ongoing public health pandemic and spur an economic recovery.

This public health crisis continues to have devastating effects on communities across the country. As discussions advance on the next pandemic response package, and as cases continue to surge across the nation, we urge you to make support for American cities a top priority.

Today we are writing to request $250 billion in direct, flexible emergency assistance to cities of all sizes in the COVID response and recovery bill currently under negotiation, and to convey the great urgency of need in American cities.

From the start, cities have been on the front lines of the fight against this disease, coordinating local responses and devoting significant resources to help keep people safe. At the same time, as economies shut down, cities have experienced a precipitous decline in tax revenue – the full impact of which economists expect to grow. Together, these dynamics have decimated city budgets in cities large and small.

These budget gaps are a direct result of this pandemic, and they are forcing painful decisions, including layoffs, furloughs, and cuts to essential government services when our residents need them the most. The situation is threatening public safety and costing people jobs. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that close to 1.5 million Americans who work in state and local government have entered unemployment since the pandemic began.

As you continue to look for ways to support small businesses and the unemployed, we implore you not to leave cities behind. While $150 billion was set aside for state and local governments in the CARES Act, the 500,000- resident population threshold included in the law resulted in only 38 American cities qualifying for any direct assistance. Cities that did receive that direct federal aid were not allowed to use those resources to mitigate the shortfalls in their local budgets.

The United States Conference of Mayors August 5, 2020 Page 2

To date, most American cities have received no direct assistance at all. That is why we have asked that cities of all sizes be eligible for federal aid, and that it be flexible enough to support the individual budget needs of cities. It is also important to appreciate that these budget shortfalls are not a blue state or a red state challenge. The virus knows no geographic boundaries or party affiliation, and there are budget crises in every state and in cities big and small.

All of us want to rebound from this pandemic as quickly as possible. But we cannot have a strong recovery without strong cities. We know from past crises that a failure to support cities will drag on the nation’s economic growth. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified to Congress earlier this year that a failure to support cities in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis created a situation in which “local government layoffs and lack of hiring did weigh on economic growth."

This is a once-in-a-lifetime crisis that requires a strong local-federal partnership. We have been proud to support the recovery on the ground in American cities and ask that you support cities as we work together to overcome the devastation caused by this ongoing pandemic.

Sincerely,

Greg Fischer Francis X. Suarez of Louisville, KY Mayor of Dayton, OH Mayor of , FL President Vice President Second Vice President

Bryan K. Barnett Steve Benjamin Elizabeth B. Kautz Mayor Rochester Hills, MI Mayor of Columbia, SC Mayor of Burnsville, MN Past President Past President Past President

Tom Cochran CEO and Executive Director

The United States Conference of Mayors August 5, 2020 Page 3

Mayor Mayor Michael Quill Mayor Scott Singer Akron, OH Auburn, NY Boca Raton, FL

Mayor Kathy M. Sheehan Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. Mayor Lauren McLean Albany, NY Augusta, GA Boise, ID

Mayor Mayor Mayor Martin J. Walsh Albuquerque, NM Austin, TX , MA

Mayor Justin Wilson Mayor Kenn Weise Mayor Alexandria, VA Avondale, AZ Bridgeport, CT

Mayor Ray O'Connell Mayor Bernard 'Jack' C. Young Mayor Steven 'Steve' V. Ponto Allentown, PA , MD Brookfield, WI

Mayor Michael Cinquanti Mayor Becky Ames Mayor Trey Mendez Amsterdam, NY Beaumont, TX Brownsville, TX

Mayor Mayor Denny Doyle Mayor Byron W. Brown Anaheim, CA Beaverton, OR Buffalo, NY

Mayor Jeff Williams Mayor Robert Donchez Mayor James Brainard Arlington, TX Bethlehem, PA Carmel, IN

Mayor Marc Williams Mayor Lester Friedman Mayor Lydia Lavelle Arvada, CO Beverly Hills, CA Carrboro, NC

Mayor Esther E. Manheimer Mayor Richard C. David Mayor Lydia Lavelle Asheville, NC Binghamton, NY Carrboro, NC

Mayor Mayor Mayor Albert Robles , GA Birmingham, AL Carson, CA

Mayor Nancy Backus Mayor Tari Renner Mayor Jr. Auburn, WA Bloomington, IL Cary, NC

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Mayor James A. Diossa Mayor Bianca Motley Broom Mayor Goran Eriksson Central Falls, RI College Park, GA Culver City, CA

Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen Mayor Patrick L. Wojahn Mayor Eric Johnson Champaign, IL College Park, MD , TX

Mayor Pam Hemminger Mayor Mayor Lori Lewellen Chapel Hill, NC Springs, CO Dania Beach, FL

Mayor Vi Alexander Lyles Mayor Andrew J. Ginther Mayor Judith 'Judy' Paul Charlotte, NC Columbus, OH Davie, FL

Mayor Andy Berke Mayor Benjamin Huseman Mayor Chris Watts Chattanooga, TN Commerce City, CO Denton, TX

Mayor Russell Stewart Mayor William 'Bill' C. Dusch Mayor Michael B. Hancock Cherry Hills Village, CO Concord, NC , CO

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy Mayor , IL Conway, SC Des Moines, IA

Mayor Mary Casillas Salas Mayor Woody Washam Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez Chula Vista, CA Cornelius, NC Doral, FL

Mayor Mayor William M. Boland, Jr. Mayor Emily Larson , OH Corning, NY Duluth, MN

Mayor Mark R. Shepherd Mayor Joe McComb Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski Clearfield, UT Corpus Christi, TX Dunedin, FL

Mayor Gus Wolter Mayor Brian Tobin Mayor Wilfred Rosas Cloverdale, CA Cortland, NY Dunkirk, NY

Mayor William Keeler Mayor Biff Traber Mayor Cohoes, NY Corvallis, OR Durham, NC

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Mayor Marcia A. Leclerc Mayor Christina Muryn Mayor East Hartford, CT Findlay, OH Glendale, AZ

Mayor Salvatore J. Panto, Jr. Mayor Acquanetta Warren Mayor Linda Jackson Easton, PA Fontana, CA Glendale Heights, IL

Mayor Ron Case Mayor Wade Troxell Mayor Laura Weinberg Eden Prairie, MN Fort Collins, CO Golden, CO

Mayor James B. Hovland Mayor Betsy Price Mayor Lord Edina, MN Fort Worth, TX Goodyear, AZ

Mayor Dee Margo Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer Mayor Ron Jensen El Paso, TX Framingham, MA Grand Prairie, TX

Mayor J. Christian Bollwage Mayor Robert T. Kennedy Mayor Elizabeth, NJ Freeport, NY Grand Rapids, MI

Mayor Lucy K. Vinis Mayor Lily Mei Mayor Eric Genrich Eugene, OR Fremont, CA Green Bay, WI

Mayor Stephen H. Hagerty Mayor Lee Brand Mayor Evanston, IL Fresno, CA Greensboro, NC

Mayor Cassie Franklin Mayor John Byrne Mayor Billy Hewes Everett, WA Fuquay-Varina, NC Gulfport, MS

Mayor Harry T. Price Mayor Paige Brown Mayor Jeff Martin Fairfield, CA Gallatin, TN Hamilton Township, NJ

Mayor Lioneld Jordan Mayor Walker E. Reid III Mayor Rodney S. Craig Fayetteville, AR Gastonia, NC Hanover Park, IL

Mayor Mayor Steve Valentino Mayor Fayetteville, NC Geneva, NY Hartford, CT

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Mayor Debra March Mayor Mary Lou Pauly Mayor Louis 'Woody' L. Brown Henderson, NV Issaquah, WA Largo, FL

Mayor Hank Guess Mayor Edward A. Sundquist Mayor Kenneth D. Miyagishima Hickory, NC Jamestown, NY Las Cruces, NM

Mayor Nancy Rodkin Rotering Mayor Vernon Jackson Mayor Hazelle Rogers Highland Park, IL Johnstown, NY Lauderdale Lakes, FL

Mayor Deb Tarrant Mayor Beth Weldon Mayor Ken Thurston Hillsboro Beach, FL Juneau, AK Lauderhill, FL

Mayor William 'Bill' D. McLeod Mayor M Darrell Hinnant Mayor David J. Berger Hoffman Estates, IL Kannapolis, NC Lima, OH

Mayor Dick Sears Mayor Mayor Holly Springs, NC City, MO Lincoln, NE

Mayor John Buckley Mayor John Martin Antaramian Mayor Mark Blask Hornell, NY Kenosha, WI Little Falls, NY

Mayor Mayor Indya Kincannon Mayor John P. Marchand , TX Knoxville, TN Livermore, CA

Mayor Steve Williams Mayor Todd Rogers Mayor Michelle M. Roman Huntington, WV Lakewood, CA Lockport, NY

Mayor Eileen Weir Mayor Adam A. Paul Mayor Robert Garcia Independence, MO Lakewood, CO Long Beach, CA

Mayor Joseph 'Joe' H. Hogsett Mayor Adam A. Paul Mayor , IN Lakewood, CO , CA

Mayor Rick Stopfer Mayor Mayor Irving, TX Lansing, MI Lubbock, TX

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Mayor Thomas M. McGee Mayor Yolanda Ford Mayor Lynn, MA City, TX , NY

Mayor Aide Castro Mayor Matthew Shorraw Mayor Alan L. Nagy Lynwood, CA Monessen, PA Newark, CA

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway Mayor Mayor Ras J. Baraka Madison, WI Montgomery, AL Newark, NJ

Mayor Joyce Craig Manchester, NH Mayor Miles Atkins Mayor McKinley L. Price DDS Mooresville, NC Newport News, VA

Mayor John Higdon Matthews, NC Mayor Shawyn Patterson- Mayor Ruthanne Fuller Howard Newton, MA Mount Vernon, NY Mayor Dennis Baker Mechanicville, NY Mayor Robert Restaino Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga Niagara Falls, NY Mountain View, CA Mayor Paul Brodeur Melrose, MA Mayor Robert Restaino Mayor Jill Techel Niagara Falls, NY Napa, CA Mayor Mesa, AZ Mayor Chris Koos Mayor John Cooper Normal, IL Nashville, TN Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III Miami Gardens, FL Mayor Breea Clark Mayor Kristopher Larsen Norman, OK Nederland, CO Mayor Thomas 'Tom' Barrett , WI Mayor John J. Lee Mayor Jon Mitchell North , NV New Bedford, MA Mayor , MN Mayor Jennifer Perez Mayor LaToya Cantrell Norwalk, CA , LA Mayor Armando Ocana Mission, TX Mayor Shawn Sastri Mayor Noam Bramson Norwich, NY New Rochelle, NY The United States Conference of Mayors August 5, 2020 Page 8

Mayor Mayor Teresa Barrett Mayor Jorge O. Elorza Oakland, CA Petaluma, CA Providence, RI

Mayor Peter Weiss Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez Mayor Glenn A. Johnson Oceanside, CA Pharr, TX Pullman, WA

Mayor William Aiello Mayor Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin Olean, NY , PA Raleigh, NC

Mayor Gary Herzig Mayor Mayor David M. Sander Ph.D Oneonta, NY Phoenix, AZ Rancho Cordova, CA

Mayor Buddy Dyer Mayor William Peduto Mayor Angela Birney Orlando, FL , PA Redmond, WA

Mayor Joe Winfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp Mayor Hillary Schieve Oro Valley, AZ Plainfield, NJ Reno, NV

Mayor William Capote Mayor Harry LaRosiliere Mayor Thomas K. Butt Palm Bay, FL Plano, TX Richmond, CA

Mayor Geoff Kors Mayor Rex Hardin Mayor Palm Springs, CA Pompano Beach, FL Richmond, VA

Mayor Peggy Lemons Mayor Thurman 'Bill' Bartie Mayor Paramount, CA Port Arthur, TX Rochester, MN

Mayor Christine Hunschofsky Mayor Patricia M. Randall Mayor Lovely A. Warren Parkland, FL Portage, MI Rochester, NY

Mayor Andre Rainey Mayor Mayor Thomas P. McNamara Peekskill, NY Portland, OR Rockford, IL

Mayor Frank C. Ortis Mayor Rob Rolison Mayor Francis X. Murray Pembroke Pines, FL Poughkeepsie, NY Rockville Centre, NY

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Mayor Sandy Roberson, Jr. Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter Mayor Logan Harvey Rocky Mount, NC San Leandro, CA Sonoma, CA

Mayor Greg Hines Mayor Mayor William 'Bill' Edwards Rogers, AR Santa Fe, NM South Fulton, GA

Mayor Joseph T. Callinan Mayor Kevin McKeown Mayor Maria Davila Rohnert Park, CA Santa Monica, CA South Gate, CA

Mayor Jacqueline M. Izzo Mayor Tom Schwedhelm Mayor James O. Langfelder Rome, NY Santa Rosa, CA Springfield, IL

Mayor John D. Noak Mayor Tom Dailly Mayor Lyda Krewson Romeoville, IL Schaumburg, IL St. Louis, MO

Mayor Tammy Dana-Bashian Mayor Gary R. McCarthy Mayor Jake Spano Rowlett, TX Schenectady, NY St. Louis Park, MN

Mayor Mayor Paige G. Cognetti Mayor Melvin Carter Sacramento, CA Scranton, PA St. Paul, MN

Mayor Karen K. Alexander Mayor Jenny A. Durkan Mayor Rick Kriseman Salisbury, NC , WA St. Petersburg, FL

Mayor Erin J. Mendenhall Mayor Jason Ashmore Mayor Costi Kutteh , UT Sesser, IL Statesville, NC

Mayor Mayor Michael Vandersteen Mayor Michael C. Taylor , TX Sheboygan, WI Sterling Heights, MI

Mayor N. Breed Mayor William Vineall Mayor William Joyce , CA Sherrill, NY Stillwater, OK

Mayor Mayor Jeffrey Z. Slavin Mayor Michael D. Tubbs San Jose, CA Somerset, MD Stockton, CA

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Mayor Joe R. Zimmerman Mayor Jason B. Snider Mayor Sugar Land, TX Tigard, OR Washington, DC

Mayor Joseph T. McElveen Jr. Mayor Mayor Keith A. James Sumter, SC Toledo, OH West Palm Beach, FL

Mayor Larry Klein Mayor Patrick J. Furey Mayor Christopher L. Cabaldon Sunnyvale, CA Torrance, CA West Sacramento, CA

Mayor Michael J. Ryan Mayor Robert Rickman Mayor Daniel J. Stermer Sunrise, FL Tracy, CA Weston, FL

Mayor Clint Folsom Mayor Mayor Thomas M. Roach Superior, CO Tucson, AZ White Plains, NY

Mayor Ben Walsh Mayor Allan Ekberg Mayor Syracuse, NY Tukwila, WA Wilmington, NC

Mayor Victoria Woodards Mayor Walter Maddox Mayor James Tacoma, WA Tuscaloosa, AL Winston-Salem, NC

Mayor John E. Dailey Mayor Robert Palmieri Mayor Mike Spano Tallahassee, FL Utica, NY Yonkers, NY

Mayor Michelle J. Gomez Mayor Robert 'Bobby' M. Dyer Mayor Jamael Tito Brown Tamarac, FL Beach, VA Youngstown, OH

Mayor Jane Castor Mayor William 'Doug' Franklin Mayor John F. Dunbar Tampa, FL Warren, OH Yountville, CA

Mayor Corey Woods Tempe, AZ

CC: Steven Mnuchin Mark Meadows Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury White House Chief of Staff

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