Tonko outlines proposed funds for municipalities amid COVID-19

21st Congressional District — U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, released numbers Tuesday breaking down how $1.3 billion of the $3 trillion Hero’s Act COVID-19 aid would be distributed locally to help save the jobs of police officers, firefighters and teachers. The measure has passed in the House but faces opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate.

The House bill includes municipal aid disbursements for 2020 and 2021.

Here are the breakdowns for the proposed aid totals for all municipalities within a county, and for county governments, cities and a selection of towns:

• Albany County total is $512.29 million
• City of Albany (2020) $163.6 million; (2021) $81.8 million
• Colonie (2020) $17 million; (2021) $8.5 million
• Guilderland (2020) $11.8 million; (2021) $5.9 million
• Schenectady County total is $341.5 million
• City of Schenectady  (2020) $111 million (2021) $55.5 million
• Schenectady county government (2020) $58.2 million; (2021) $29.1 million  
• Rotterdam (2020) $9.8 million; (2021) $4.9 million
• Saratoga County total is $201.9 million
• Saratoga County (2020) $86.2 million; (2021) $43.1 million
• City of Saratoga Springs (2020) $14.8 million; (2021) $7.4 million
• Wilton (2020) $5.6 million; (2021) $2.8 million
• Town of Saratoga (2020) $1.9 million; (2021) $942,143
• Montgomery County total is $46.19 million
• Montgomery County government (2020) $18.5 million; (2021) $9.2 million
• City of Amsterdam (2020) $5.9 million; (2021) $2.9 million
• Town of Amsterdam (2020) $2 million; (2021) $990,361
• Town of Mohawk (2020) $1.2 million; (2021) $620,000

Tonko participated in a Zoom presentation Tuesday to make his case for why the Senate should pass the Heros Act, which includes a combined $1 trillion in aid to municipalities throughout the U.S., with $49.5 billion going to New York state overall.

“We are in the midst of this coronavirus crisis, and we are the hardest hit country in the world. We’ve suffered more cases, more deaths and it is important for us to go forward with a plan of action,” Tonko said.

“We have no choice but to invest here. The Senate leadership says file for bankruptcy. That is not an answer for our essential services. We’re talking about the impact that happens when you just don’t have appropriate levels of police officers, sheriffs patrols, teachers, firefighters, those who maintain our water treatment centers, people who are our sanitation workers who maintain our communities. Our quality of life will suffer and we will swell the roles of the unemployed.”

The Hero’s Act was passed by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives May 13, but has not been passed or voted on by the more conservative Senate and is not supported by its majority leader.

Tonko challenged Republicans in the Senate to produce their own plan if they don’t like the House version. He said the two chambers of Congress should negotiate to find a compromise that can get funding to municipalities fast enough to forestall further layoffs. 

Categories: -News-, Fulton Montgomery Schoharie, Saratoga County, Schenectady County