Stevens, Michigan Delegation Members Urge Governor Whitmer to Support Small and Mid-Sized Cities

WASHINGTON — This week, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) led a bipartisan group of Michigan lawmakers in calling on Governor Gretchen Whitmer to consider the needs of small and mid-sized cities as the State of Michigan distributes nearly $4 billion in federal funds that were allocated to the state as part of the recently-passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, signed into law on March 27th, provided $150 billion in stabilization funds for states and large communities, but capped localities able to receive direct support at those with populations of over 500,000. This excludes many large metropolitan areas, as well as small and mid-sized towns, cities, and rural counties that have been hit hard responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Representatives John Moolenaar (R-MI-04), Fred Upton (R-MI-06), Tim Walberg (R-MI-07), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), Andy Levin (D-MI-09), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI-14), Bill Huizenga (R-MI-02), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08), Dan Kildee (D-MI-05), and Paul Mitchell (R-MI-10) joined Congresswoman Stevens to advocate for municipalities on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.  

“Without strong and immediate support, our smallest cities and towns will suffer significant revenue loss and longterm solvency issues at a time when their output is increasing in response to the crisis,” the lawmakers wrote. “We would appreciate you taking this into consideration as you allocate funding from this new program. We must work together to preserve the survival of our cities and towns and prepare them for the long road ahead for recovery. In Congress, we will continue to work for the residents of our entire state, whether they’re from big cities or small towns, to keep Michiganders safe and our communities strong.”

Earlier this week, Congresswoman Stevens joined her colleagues to introduce the Coronavirus Community Relief Act, new legislation led by Representatives Joe Neguse (CO-02), Ben Ray Luján (NM-03), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Tom Malinowski (NJ-07) to provide $250 billion in additional stabilization funds for local communities, cities and towns across the United States that are struggling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The full text of the letter can be found attached here or below.

Dear Governor Whitmer,   

Thank you for leading our state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

As you know, on March 27th, the CARES Act was signed into law. Along with the unprecedented support for workers and small businesses, this included a new program for Temporary Fiscal Relief for States and Cities to stabilize our government entities in the wake of responding to the pandemic. Fortunately, estimations indicate that the state of Michigan could receive nearly $4 billion from this stabilization fund. 

However, this program only allowed localities with greater than 500,000 residents to apply for this funding. We are working in Congress to address this issue and hope to reduce or remove this arbitrary cap in any forthcoming coronavirus legislation.  

In the meantime, we urge you to consider the needs of our small and mid-sized cities and towns as you distribute this funding. They are on the front lines of combatting this pandemic, saving lives and shoring up our local economies, all while ensuring the continuation of critical infrastructure like water, wastewater, police, and fire, among others. Without strong and immediate support, our smallest cities and towns will suffer significant revenue loss and longterm solvency issues at a time when their output is increasing in response to the crisis. We would appreciate you taking this into consideration as you allocate funding from this new program. 

We must work together to preserve the survival of our cities and towns and prepare them for the long road ahead for recovery. In Congress, we will continue to work for the residents of our entire state, whether they’re from big cities or small towns, to keep Michiganders safe and our communities strong. 

Thank you for your leadership and consideration of this matter.

###