City of Meriden
Office of the Mayor 142 East Main Street, Meriden, CT 06450 kscarpati@meridenct.gov|203-630-4125
Kevin M. Scarpati Mayor
April 22, 2020 Senator Richard Blumenthal Senator Christopher Murphy Representative Jahana Hayes, 5th Congressional District Dear Senator Blumenthal, Senator Murphy and Representative Hayes, We respectfully write to you to request your assistance and express our concerns over the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on municipal resources. Meriden - and every other municipality in Connecticut - needs federal assistance. As you well know, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on the Connecticut economy. According to the Department of Labor, more than 350,000 Connecticut residents have filed for unemployment. It is estimated that thousands of Meriden residents have become unemployed due to this crisis. Many will be unable to pay their utility and real estate taxes. Like our state government, our municipalities are facing a tremendous revenue losses due to COVID-19. Municipal resources have already been strained by the costs of responding to a pandemic and additional revenue shortfalls threaten important town and city services. Our residents rely on us to keep them safe, educate their children, and care for our most vulnerable. Per Governor Lamont’s mandate that municipalities adopt at least one municipal tax relief program, our City Council adopted a reduced interest rate program for delinquent tax payments. We know this is not nearly enough to help those that are suffering in our city or cover revenue losses. We need to do more, and we are asking you for help. Federal funding to help cover municipal revenue losses will allow towns and cities to provide more assistance and relief to our residents during this critical time, while continuing to deliver essential city services. We must continue to protect those disproportionately affected by the health and economic fallout of this pandemic-including our seniors, the homeless population, the poor, minority communities, and those living in congregate living facilities. We are extremely grateful for your work in securing funding for Connecticut through the CARES Act. Unfortunately, the effects of this horrific pandemic are far-reaching and allencompassing, and our towns and cities need help too. Please advocate for and support legislation that provides financial resources to the many municipalities facing revenue shortfalls due to COVID-19.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully,
Kevin Scarpati
Michael Cardona
Kevin M. Scarpati Mayor
Michael Cardona Deputy Mayor
David Lowell
Dan Brunet
David Lowell Majority Leader City Councilor
Dan Brunet Minority Leader City Councilor
Larue Graham
Sonya Jelks
Larue Graham Deputy Majority Leader City Councilor
Sonya Jelks Deputy Majority Leader City Councilor
Bob Williams
Krystle Blake
Bob Williams, Jr. Deputy Minority Leader City Councilor
Krystle Blake City Councilor
Michael Carabetta
Miguel Castro
Michael Carabetta City Councilor
Miguel Castro City Councilor
Bruce Fontanella
Michael Rohde
Bruce Fontanella City Councilor
Michael Rohde City Councilor
Nicole Tomassetti Nicole Tomassetti City Councilor