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Participate in "Cities are Essential" conference call
 ULCT is not planning a Town Hall for Local Leaders this week. Instead, we invite the leaders of our cities and towns to get involved in the discussion regarding providing stimulus relief to local governments. It's one element of the intense negotiations going on right now in Washington.
Last week, Senate Republican leaders released the HEALS Act. The HEALS Act does not allocate new funds for cities, towns, and counties but does provide more flexibility in how the CARES Act can be used. House Democrats passed the HEROES Act earlier this summer that is $3 trillion with $375 billion earmarked for local governments. The White House and Treasury Department are sending mixed messages about what they want to see in a bill.
The ULCT Board of Directors communicated to our federal delegation our desire for direct allocations to cities of all sizes as well as flexibility and clarity in how the funds can be used. The ULCT Board did not take a position on the amount of money that should be in any future Congressional act and they have not taken a position on either the HEROES or HEALS Acts as we wait for negotiations to progress.
The August Senate recess is scheduled to begin on August 10 and negotiations this week are critical to local governments.
The National League of Cities is hosting a Cities Are Essential campaign call today, Monday, August 3 at 11:30 am with more advocacy information. They invite local leaders from Utah and all member states to join in the discussion. We encourage you to become part of that dialogue.
We'll resume our ULCT Town Hall For Local Leaders schedule on Monday, August 10, from 3:00 - 4:00 pm. Our presenters will provide a COVID economic impact including a federal update.
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