Letter to the Hon. Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida - Buchanan Urges DeSantis to Direct Significant COVID-19 Relief Funds to Manatee, Sarasota

Letter

Dear Governor DeSantis,

I applaud your announcement that your administration will soon begin disbursing unused coronavirus relief funds to Florida counties currently ineligible for direct federal aid and request that a significant portion of assistance be directed to Manatee and Sarasota counties, which have both been hit hard by the deadly coronavirus.

Manatee and Sarasota Counties have the first and second highest number of coronavirus deaths of all Florida counties that have not yet received any federal funding in response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Florida Department of Health Manatee County has 1,236 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 112 deaths while Sarasota County has 705 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 88 deaths.

These two counties are still trying to cope with high COVID-19 caseloads, rising costs and significant revenue losses. Manatee and Sarasota, are under the population threshold of 500,000, and were not eligible for direct coronavirus relief funds, even though then have two of the highest rates of coronavirus deaths of any Florida county.

This relief funding is a much-needed lifeline to these severely impacted counties. The funding provided to states and local governments under the CARES Act can be used in a wide variety of ways including the purchase and distribution of personal protective equipment and medical supplies for first responders and front-line health care workers, increased testing, COVID-19-related expenses of public hospitals and health clinics, as well as for food delivery to area residents, including seniors and other vulnerable populations.

According to one economic forecast, the combined Sarasota-Manatee economy is facing the possibility of a massive $2.3 billion economic slump over the next 90 days because of the coronavirus. StratoDem Analytics, an economic data firm located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, estimates Sarasota County's GDP will decline by about 25 percent in the 2nd quarter of 2020 and for Manatee County, it is estimating a 28 percent GDP decline. Measured on a per household basis, that's an $6,300 economic loss in Sarasota County and an $5,700 loss in Manatee County from April through June.

These two counties need the resources to be able to keep their residents safe and to help our local communities impacted by the deadly pandemic. We need to do everything we can to help Floridians and out state recover as soon as possible.

Again I urge you to prioritize coronavirus relief funding for Manatee and Sarasota counties and look forward to your prompt response on this very important issue.

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