Public Cuts to U.S. Cities, Towns Expected

As businesses continue to make sweeping cuts and unemployment numbers rise due to the COVID-19 crisis, mayors from cities and towns across the U.S. are also worried local governments will soon be forced to cut public funding.

In a survey from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities, a vast majority of mayors and cities across the country are anticipating cuts to public services due to COVID-19. 76 percent of cities with a population larger than 500,000 anticipate public service cuts, while 50 percent of towns less than 50,000 also anticipate immediate cuts to public funding.

These numbers show that federal, state and city unemployment rates are likely to climb in the U.S. in the coming weeks and months. Like small businesses, some cities may need extra financial support to avoid cuts to crucial systems, such as healthcare support.