New Orders from Governor Herbert

Governor Herbert  extends "stay at home" directive and other news for leaders of Utah's cities and towns

League Members:

Time and distance are our biggest defense as we work to stop the spread of the coronavirus.  Today Governor Herbert outlines new directives to keep our residents safe. In this email we 1) summarize his message to Utahns, 2) explain ULCT's Fiscal Impact Task Force and why this work matters to you because of the federal CARES Act, 3) invite you to watch our series of interviews with the gubernatorial candidates.

Governor Herbert's Executive Orders

Eviction Proceedings

Today Governor Herbert issue an executive order suspending certain eviction related provisions. The actual order and the statements and reporting around the order are somewhat different. The order declares that a residential tenant may not be evicted through May 15 if the tenant was current on rent as of March 31, 2020 and meets one of the following criteria: a) has suffered a loss of wages due to COVID-19, b) is in self-isolation of quarantine in compliance with an order, or c) has tested positive for COVID-19. Keep in mind that local health departments can be more restrictive per state law and the Salt Lake County Health Department is maintaining the requirement that the public must order food remotely.

Restaurant regulations modified and extended

Governor Herbert also extended the public health order issued March 17 until April 15. However, he modified the order to allow the public to walk into a restaurant to order food if the restaurant accommodates social distancing requirements.

CLICK TO WATCH TODAY'S GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS

ULCT COVID-19 Fiscal Impact Task Force and the CARES Act

ULCT has convened a task force to identify both the direct and indirect costs of COVID-19 on municipal budgets and they met again today to work on a survey to collect data from cities and towns. Watch for that survey soon and please submit it ASAP because of the CARES Act timing.

Meanwhile, your correspondent participated in a conference call with the White House and Department of the Treasury about the implementation of the CARES Act. As a reminder, the CARES Act appropriates $150 billion to states and local governments to offset “necessary expenditures” that a city absorbs for which the city did not budget between March 1 and December 30, 2020. Utah’s portion of the CARES Act will be $1.25 billion and the Department of the Treasury must distribute the amount by April 24.

There are two major considerations around the implementation of the CARES Act and ULCT is working on both. First, there is a discrepancy in the bill around the definition of “local government.” The National League of Cities sent a letter to the Department urging a clarification. Team ULCT is also following up with our congressional delegation.

Second, the Department of the Treasury may provide guidance around the definition of “necessary expenditures.” For now, the bill contemplates a potential reimbursement to states and local governments for costs above the baseline as established by the most recently enacted budget. The guidance, and the online portal to submit requests, will be ready before the appropriation deadline of April 24. However, the CARES Act does not contemplate any replacement for lost revenue (i.e. reduction in sales tax). The reimbursement request must be directly related to the public health emergency.

Our survey will help us advocate for cities to be reimbursed for direct “necessary expenditures” under the CARES Act and understand the scope of the indirect impact of COVID-19 on your budgets. It is possible that Congress will consider another bill in the weeks to come to help offset some of the indirect costs such as a reduction in sales tax revenue. Regardless, we want to be prepared with data so watch for our survey requests soon. You can contact ULCT’s Wayne Bradshaw at wbradshaw@ulct.org for more information.

Gubernatorial Candidates Talk About Local Government Priority Issues  

As critical as it is to talk about the coronavirus, let's shift for a moment to other issues important to local government in Utah. ULCT President and Spanish Fork Council Member Mike Mendenhall spent time with the gubernatorial candidates who are polling above 3% discussing issues of local importance.  Tomorrow, we'll begin our social media series called "Questions for the Candidates." ULCT's Board of Directors identified some key issues in our communities, including funding for transportation, managing growth, tax reform, and more. President Mendenhall goes in-depth with each candidate on these issues. These interviews were recorded before most people new what COVID-19 is.  Follow our Facebook page to see these videos as they post.  We hope you find them valuable.