New York Mayors Release Video Calling on Congress to Provide Local Aid
ALBANY, NY — The New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (NYCOM) today released a video featuring 32 different Mayors from across New York State calling on Congress to include direct aid to cities, villages and towns in the $1.9 trillion stimulus package currently under consideration by the U.S. Senate. In the video the Mayors explain how their communities have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and they make the case for why direct aid is needed.
“From the eastern tip of Long Island, to the western edge of New York, cities and villages are under fiscal stress due to the COVID pandemic,” said NYCOM President and City of Binghamton Mayor Richard C. David. “We have been pushing for local relief since the first stimulus package came out last spring. Through this video, Mayors from around the state are demonstrating that we speak with one voice about the need for direct local aid. This isn’t just a New York issue, local leaders of large cities, small villages and rural towns throughout the country are all facing the same challenges and we wanted to show that essential services, infrastructure and programs that our residents depend upon will suffer without direct relief to local governments.”
Some of the highlights of the video include:
- Municipalities have continued to provide vital services throughout the pandemic;
- Every local government is suffering because of a drop in local revenues due to the economic downturn;
- There is a projected $360 billion in lost municipal revenues nationwide over next three years;
- Direct aid is needed to maintain economic stability in local communities and avoid layoffs.
“NYCOM applauds the House for passing the American Rescue Plan with $65 billion in direct relief for cities, villages and towns to offset sharp losses in revenue and increases in expenses due to COVID,” said Peter A. Baynes, NYCOM Executive Director. “We now urge the Senate to approve this same package of direct, flexible aid to local governments across New York and the country as this is an essential step to fueling economic recovery.”
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The New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (NYCOM) is an association of, and for, cities and villages in New York. Since 1910, NYCOM has united local government officials in an active statewide network focused on the singular purpose of finding the most effective means of providing essential municipal services. NYCOM’s membership represents more than 12 million New Yorkers.
