[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 82 (Friday, May 1, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE FISCAL IMPACT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ON THE TOWN 
                      OF PHILLIPSBURG, NEW JERSEY

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                          HON. TOM MALINOWSKI

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 1, 2020

  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
devastating impact the coronavirus pandemic continues to have on the 
Town of Phillipsburg, New Jersey and many local governments throughout 
my district and the country. The coronavirus has decimated local 
revenues and increased costs and only Congress can provide a lifeline 
to small towns through direct and flexible funding.
  I learned recently from the joint press release from our office, that 
Warren County has been left out of the $82,202,575 in Federal funding 
awarded to the State of New Jersey from the stimulus package passed by 
both the Congress and the Senate to help states fight the Coronavirus 
Pandemic. We were one of only four NJ counties to have received no 
funds.
  I have received numerous calls from residents over the last few weeks 
as to why we did not receive any funding, and as the Mayor of 
Phillipsburg, I have no answers. This federal aid is to help all 
communities and evidently Warren County was not included. This Pandemic 
did not pick and choose, and neither should the government on who 
should receive funding. Everyone should be helped in this time of need.
  Phillipsburg is a small rural community in Warren County, New Jersey 
and just like every other community across our great State we are all 
facing the same challenges due to this outbreak. Every city, town or 
borough is dealing with the crisis in their own way because no two 
communities are the same however we are all facing the same obstacles 
that need to be overcome. This crisis will not only affect what is 
happening in 2020 but also will affect the Town's ability to budget in 
future years especially in 2021. We believe that next year's budget may 
be more adversely affected than the 2020 budget. Most if not all 
revenue collections will be down and must be adjusted and accounted 
for. The revenues that Town's collected in 2019 cannot be guaranteed to 
collect the same amount in 2020 thus creating a shortfall and 
unfortunately those shortfalls will carry over to the 2021 budget.
  To compensate for the decreased revenues Towns must for other ways to 
make up for lost revenue such as using more from surplus if they have 
the ability or probably more likely and most unfortunately look to 
reduce services or staff. Laying off an employee who works and lives in 
the municipality is one of the hardest decisions any City or Town must 
make. Although we hope the layoffs won't be permeant, in looking to 
future budgets no one can guarantee that it won't be. Cutting services 
such as not opening a municipal pool, golf courses or campgrounds, 
canceling recreational activities such as summer sports or day camps 
and canceling Town celebrations, concerts, festivals, fairs and 
carnivals can lead to a sense of depression that is felt all over Town.
  For many of our residents this may be the only entertainment or 
activities they get each summer and in a moment in time where we must 
look to raise our resident's spirits, we seem only to be offering 
disappointing and heartbreaking news. Again, the lost revenues from 
these activities are crushing to a municipal budget who count on these 
activities. Although we all hope these are temporary cancelations, done 
with the best interest of our residents in mind to keep them safe, it 
would be nice if we didn't have to do it at all. The federal government 
is under a lot of pressure right now to try to help an entire nation, 
we just ask that the local governments who are also under the same 
amount of pressure cannot be and must not be left out and forgotten. 
The stimulus money the federal government can offer will go a long way 
to ensure the local governments can still meet all the needs of our 
community.

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