Long Beach misses out on $189 million as White House halts coronavirus relief talks

Cars line up for 9th District Councilmember Rex Richardson’s second food distribution for Long Beach families at Jordan High School, in response to COVID-19. The event was in partnership with Community Action Partnership of Orange County, Alpha Phi Alpha and Power of One Foundation. Saturday, May 30, 2020. Photo by Stephen Carr. Long Beach officials anticipating federal aid to support the local economy were blindsided Thursday as President Donald Trump called off negotiations with Democratic lawmakers to formulate a coronavirus relief bill until after the election. Long Beach City manager Tom Modica said the city was eligible for roughly $189 million in direct relief from a proposed $179 billion aid package that cities and counties nationwide were hoping to receive. Money would have also been allocated for specific causes such as housing and education. “It’s very unfortunate,” Modica said. “Clearly, there’s need for it.” Republican and Democratic lawmakers struggled for months over the proposed bill, and reached a stalemate over how much it would pay out. The pandemic has taken a toll on the city’s economy, ripping a $30 million deficit into the budget’s general fund , which funds public services. Modica said the city will likely spend about […]

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