U.S. Counties Want More COVID-19 Financial Aid from Congress
Roz Brown, Public News Service – NV
LAS VEGAS — The National Association of Counties has joined seven other organizations in praising the coronavirus financial relief approved by Congress, but the organizations also are requesting more aid for state and local governments, so they can maintain services as revenues plummet.
Clark County — home to Las Vegas — is projecting at least a $1 billion loss in revenue over the next 16 months as a result of the pandemic.
Marilyn Kirkpatrick, chair of the Clark County Commission, says counties are the safety nets for many people, and COVID-19 has highlighted that.
“Yes, we are fighting the virus, but in a short time, we’re going to be fighting the social service needs, from mental health to poverty, and that’s a lot longer recovery,” she points out.
Many county budgets include hospitals, long-term care facilities, behavioral health departments and 911 operations.
The National Association of Counties estimates county budget losses to COVID-19 at $144 billion through fiscal year 2021.
Kirkpatrick says without additional federal funds she’s worried about a local recovery, because so many people, including those with jobs in public safety, are still expressing concern about going back to work.
“I can’t have public safety if I don’t have any revenue to pay for them,” she stresses. “And that was not considered within the long term of ‘how do we get our communities back on track?'”
Kirkpatrick says about 450,000 workers in Clark County rely on the casino industry, which is still closed due to the health crisis with no date for reopening.
Last Friday, Clark County recorded the lowest increase in COVID-19 cases, but at the same time officials said deaths were higher than the previous week.
