FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 24, 2020
MAYOR JUDY PAUL CALLS ON SENATORS TO SUPPORT EMERGENCY DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR MUNICIPALITIES DEVASTATED BY COVID-19
DAVIE, Fla. – Earlier this week, Mayor Judy Paul sent a letter to U.S. Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott requesting their support for direct, emergency funding to municipalities of all sizes, including the Town of Davie, in the upcoming COVID-19 pandemic response legislation.
Direct financial assistance is needed to mitigate the budget shortfalls that are a direct result of the COVID-19 crisis. The Town has devoted significant resources to help keep our residents safe. At the same time, shutdowns and the stalled economy has created a significant drop in revenue. The pandemic is forcing painful budget decisions and federal assistance is urgently needed to help municipalities protect essential government services and limit layoffs and furloughs.
“Our families and businesses’ recovery are a priority for us, and we need it to be a priority of our Senators who are our voice in Washington D.C.,” said Town of Davie Mayor Judy Paul. “Critical services including public safety are being strained by this pandemic. We need our Senators to support immediate direct financial assistance if we are going to weather the storm of COVID-19 and rebuild a strong economy. We do not want to see more layoffs and more essential government services curtailed in the middle of a pandemic. Davie and every city/town/village in America are working to protect residents and businesses, and every municipality should receive direct federal assistance.”
To date, Congress has only provided direct federal aid to 38 U.S. cities – those with populations over 500,000 – leaving municipalities like Davie behind. And even those limited resources are not allowed by law to be used to offset budget shortfalls. The U.S. Conference of Mayors, of which Mayor Paul is an active member, has requested $250 billion dollars from Congress and asked that it be made available to municipalities regardless of population.
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Media Contact:
Leona Henry, Intergovernmental Affairs Manager
Office: 954-797-1035
Sussette Rodriguez, Public Relations Coordinator
Office: 954-797-1102
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