The executive director of the New York State Association of Counties has issued an “urgent plea” to federal lawmakers to allocate funds to states and local governments severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at a press videoconference this morning, Stephen J. Acquario said New York and its counties are facing hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue and need Congress and the President to pass legislation immediately.
“We are issuing an urgent plea not to give up,” Acquario said, referring to the adoption of another federal stimulus bill. “We know and we’re confident that (this can happen) with the support of the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (and) the New York delegation.
"And now we’re reporting the President of the United States Donald Trump has signaled support for state and local fiscal relief along with another couple of issues concerning infrastructure and rural broadband to be included.”
Acquario mentioned the Senate’s passage on Tuesday of a fourth wave of legislation to extend the small business payroll protection program as well as funds for health-care-related expenses, including state and local testing capacity, tracing and employer testing.
“All (are) very important, critical pieces of legislation," he said. "What is missing from this latest piece of federal funding is essential funding for lost revenue for the State of New York and the counties of New York. We are unique in the United States – the counties of New York – in what we do and what we provide and how we’re funded. Our reliance on sales tax is essential … (and) we have suffered tremendously.”
Acquario cited reports from Erie County that show a loss of $150 million in economic activity, with sales tax projections dropping, and from Long Island that show $200 million in lost revenue.
He also said that NYSAC seeks funding for rural cellular service improvements in tandem with an infrastructure bill.
Acquario touched on several other topics during his 10-minute presentation:
-- Noting the cooperation among New York and neighboring states, he said that New York’s counties will be “part of and leading the regional Mid-Atlantic northeastern portion … in coordinating with nearly 300 county governments."
“We’re going to be setting up a program – Think Regional and Act Local,” he said. “By bringing the best practices from the epicenter of the United States – New York City, the lower Hudson Valley counties and Long Island and other areas -- and sharing those best practices of what we did during the pandemic, we can further support and supplement Governor Cuomo’s efforts to protect this region of the United States, enabling it a better chance to reopen and re-emerge.”
The new partnership reportedly will be called the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic County Coronavirus Coalition.
-- Reporting that Schumer has secured federal funding at the 100 percent level for Federal Emergency Management Agency-relate expenses.
“This is very important for the State of New York and for the counties that are submitting for FEMA reimbursement for personnel, supplies, equipment – this includes repurposing buildings, temporary medical facilities and temporary shelter facilities – repurpose buildings, shortage, temporary morgues, temporary storage of human remains and disposal costs of medical waste,” he said.
-- Sharing details of the “regional reopening of New York” as announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday.
“The number of cases in the State of New York continue to hover around 63 to 65 percent in the City of New York, 21 percent in the two counties on Long Island – Nassau and Suffolk – about 8 percent in the Lower Hudson Valley counties of Rockland and Westchester. Then if you project out to the 53 other counties, it’s about 7 percent is the rate of infection,” he said. “That is the testing data that we have.”
Acquario said the regional reopening approach hinges upon meeting certain criteria, such as hospital capacities of 25 percent above normal capacity being in place in that hospital's region of the state, and that there has been fewer than 10 new COVID positive hospital admissions within the last 10 days.
“So, elective surgeries can resume in those areas of the state where those protocols are in place,” he said.
-- Recognizing the work of county officials across all departments who are responding to the COVID-19 situation and showed a public service announcement indicating as such.
