Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.05.20 Shari McCracken - Allocation of CARES Funding Final Letter AT1 May 4, 2020 Honorable Governor Gavin Newsom th 1303 10 Street, Suite 1173 Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: Allocation of CARES Funding for Counties of less than 500,000 populations Dear Honorable Governor Newsom, Thank you for work efforts during this unprecedented time and your leadership in assisting all affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. We appreciate your efforts to keep all Californians safe. As you are well aware, county governments are at the forefront of this pandemic. We are working to implement your orders and the recommendations from the California State Department of Public Health to ensure the health and safety of our communities. Our public health physicians, nurses, lab personnel, mental health practitioners and many others are working tirelessly in this crisis. In addition, our counties are providing direct services such as disease tracking and tracing, emergency coordination and response, public safety, human services, food assistance, services for the elderly and homebound, and housing, among others. These obligations fall squarely on the shoulders of county governments. Unfortunately, 42 of 58 county governments with populations less than 500,000 are not receiving a direct allocation of federal CARES 1 | Page funding. We request that you ensure equitable funding for smaller counties to help us address the unprecedented demands we face to reduce and contain the spread of COVID-19. The California State Association of Counties has requested 80% of the $1.1 billion State residual CARES Act funds be allocated to smaller counties for this purpose. We urge you to do this, as we collectively represent approximately 6.3 million Californians, who deserve as much assistance as those in more populated areas. Ecounties will be facing the daunting challenge of continuing to provide safety net services to the most vulnerable while meeting the public health challenge of surveillance, testing and quarantining to keep the virus boxed in. Like all public entities, at the same time, we are facing rapidly eroding revenue which will impact our budgets and jeopardize our ability to continue robust responses. COVID-19 knows no geographic boundaries, and the virus can quickly spread throughout the State if smaller counties are without resources to ensure we continue to suppress and contain the virus. This is a potentially dangerous situation for the entire State. Immediately allocating the remaining allowable funding to our counties would provide immediate cash flow assistance to many that are struggling with such significant expenditure pressure. Counties encourage the state to do that as soon as feasible and to prioritize safety net service providers when considering an allocation. Other requests, such as a State backfill of Sales Tax Layaway Program, protections and mitigations for 1991 and 2011 Realignment programs, and development of cash flow solutions to address short term needs, are critical for all counties, large and small, throughout the state. As county administrators and executive officers, we know that counties are an extension of state government and, as a result, we want to continue to work in partnership with the Legislature and Administration through this public health and economic crisis to ensure that we have the necessary resources to keep all Californians safe and healthy. Thank you for your consideration and your continued leadership. Sincerely, County Administrative Officers/County Executive Officers: Nicole Williamson, Alpine County Chuck Iley, Amador County Shari McCracken, Butte County Albert Alt, Calaveras County Wendy G. Tyler, Colusa Jay Sarina, Del Norte County Don Ashton, El Dorado County Scott DeMoss, Glenn County Amy S. Nilsen, Humboldt County 2 | Page Tony Rouhotas, Imperial County Clint Quilter, Inyo County Rebecca Campbell, Kings County Carol J. Huchingson, Lake County Richard Egan, Lassen County Darin McCandless, Madera County Matthew Hymel, Marin County Dallin Kimble, Mariposa County Carmel Angelo, Mendocino County James Brown, Merced County Chester Robertson, Modoc County Robert C. Lawton, Mono County Charles J. McKee, Monterey County Minh C. Tran, Napa County Alison Lehman, Nevada County Todd Leopold, Placer County Gabriel Hydrick, Plumas County Ray Espinosa, San Benito County Wade Horton, San Luis Obispo Mona Miyasato, Santa Barbara County Carlos Palacios, Santa Cruz County Matt Pontes, Shasta County Lee Adams, Sierra County (Chair of the Board) Angela Davis, Siskiyou County Birgitta E. Corsello, Solano County Sheryl Bratton, Sonoma County Steven M. Smith, Sutter County Williams J. Goodwin, Tehama County Richard Kuhns, Trinity County Jason T. Britt, Tulare County Tracie Riggs, Tuolumne Patrick S. Blacklock, Yolo County Robert Bendorf, Yuba County Cc: Ana J. Matosantos, Cabinet Secretary, Office of the Governor Tam Ma, Legislative Deputy, Office of the Governor Richard Figueroa, Legislative Deputy, Office of the Governor Keely Bosler, Director, Department of Finance Vivek Viswanathan, Department of Finance Adam Dorsey, Program Budget Manager, California Department of Finance 3 | Page Mark Ghaly, Secretary, California Health and Human Services Agency Brendan McCarthy, Assistant Secretary, California Health and Human Services Agency Sonia Angell, Director, California Department of Public Health Honorable California State Senators Honorable California State Assembly Members Catherine Smith, CACE Administrative Director Graham Knaus, CSAC Executive Director 4 | Page