Levin, Local Mayors Call on Congress for Funding to Smaller Municipalities

By Lillian Boyd

U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) and a bipartisan coalition of nine local mayors, including acting Mayor Laura Ferguson, reiterated their call on Thursday, May 7, for direct federal funding to stabilize smaller counties, cities, and towns—specifically, those with populations under 500,000.

Their call supports several letters Levin and House colleagues sent to Congressional leadership requesting funding for small municipalities, which are struggling with costs and declining revenues due to COVID-19.

“The essential public services that cities provide are critical for our health and security, yet many smaller cities have been cut off from federal aid and they are desperate for a lifeline,” Levin said in a press release. “While the CARES Act included funding for states and large cities, it wasn’t enough, and it’s time for House and Senate leadership to rectify that.”

The next coronavirus relief package that Congress passes must provide more money to cities, and it must set aside funding for cities with fewer than 500,000 residents, Levin said.

Levin said he hopes to pass additional relief legislation with direct stabilization funding to localities with populations under 500,000, and to lower the threshold for direct funding through the Coronavirus Relief Fund.

“We have worked day and night throughout this crisis to maintain critical public services and protect the health, safety, and economic security of our people,” stated the letter signed by the mayors. “As the pandemic erodes our traditional sources of local revenue, we have risen to the occasion to serve the individuals and families who call our cities home. We need the federal government to step up.”

The coalition of mayors also includes San Juan Capistrano Mayor Troy Bourne and Dana Point Mayor Richard Viczorek. The cities of Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Oceanside, Solana Beach and Vista were also represented.

“We are calling on Congress and the President to provide direct aid to our cities in order to offset lost revenues and unexpected costs during this unprecedented time. The health and well-being of our people depend on it,” the letter stated.