DALLAS (KRLD) - The mayors of some of the biggest cities in Texas have all signed a letter asking federal officials in Washington, D.C. to keep the needs of cities and states in mind as they continue to work on helping the nation recover from the economic problems caused by COVID-19.
"What we're looking for out of Washington is to simply be treated similarly to all of the other affected businesses," said Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere. "We anticipate our sales tax sales tax revenues will be affected significantly, and that means the level of services that we deliver to our citizens could be severely impacted."
The latest sales tax figures from the State Comptroller's Office show Plano had a 4.7 % drop in sales tax revenues in March compared to the same month last year. Dallas had a 9% drop. Sales tax revenues were down by 11% in Garland and 15% in Mesquite. The State Comptroller's Office is predicting that sales tax collections will show an even more significant drop in April.
"City business is big business," said Mayor LaRosiliere. "We're not immune to the effects of this pandemic."
The letter was signed by the 15 Mayors across the state. Officials in Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Arlington, Garland, Irving, and Grand Prairie are all listed as co-authors.
"The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) does not distinguish between Democrats or Republicans...nor do its economic and fiscal impacts." they wrote. "Unfortunately, many state and local governments across the nation have already announced job cuts and service reductions and many more are on the horizon. It is imperative that Congress act quickly and forcefully."
