Ensure Congress Provides Fiscal Aid To State And Local Governments

ALBANY, NY – On Thursday, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan sent a letter to United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell again calling on the federal government to provide fiscal aid to state and local governments facing revenue shortfalls as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This funding is vital because we need each of our employees working in order to help our City recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and continue to reopen our economy,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “Our employees ensure our neighborhoods are safe, our parks are clean, our water is safe to drink, our buildings are habitable, and our first responders have the resources they need to serve our residents – work that is essential to the health and well-being of our city.”

“Municipalities across the country, including the City of Albany, have patiently waited 80 days since the House of Representatives quickly passed the HEROES Act – legislation that would have provided the $19 million in lost revenue the City is facing for 2020, plus the anticipated revenue shortfall we are facing in 2021 – however we cannot wait any longer. Without this funding, we will have to make drastic, unprecedented cuts to our budget, and in turn, our city services and our workforce. Put simply: without this funding, our City will be unrecognizable.”