“Rent is due today. Federal cash assistance ends today. And today the Mayor vetoes COVID relief for small businesses and families.”
Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Position 8, Citywide) issued the following statement after Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a midnight veto of the Council’s unanimous JumpStart COVID Relief bill that provided $86 million to support Seattle small businesses and families through rental assistance, food assistance, support for childcare and flexible funding to support small businesses.
“Rent is due today. Federal cash assistance ends today. And today the Mayor vetoes COVID relief for small businesses and families. In the midst of an economic contraction that is four times worse than the Great Depression, we can’t afford to take a wait and see approach when Seattle families’ health, jobs and housing is on the line. If we wait, what we’ll see is more folks unable to pay rent, more families without food, more businesses closing and people losing their jobs – and along with it their healthcare during a global pandemic. This creates a cliff and a more costly and longer road to economic recovery – it will be harder and more costly for people to keep their businesses, housing and childcare without this COVID relief,” said Mosqueda. “The Council unanimously passed the COVID bill to provide critical relief that will especially benefit communities of color, immigrants and refugees, low-income communities, and our smallest businesses. The Council showed bold leadership by coming together with hundreds of community, labor, housing and human services advocates, small and big businesses to put together a plan to JumpStart our economy through this COVID Relief bill. The Mayor’s veto will flatline Seattle’s recovery,” Mosqueda said.
Mosqueda, as sponsor of the legislation and the Council’s Budget Chair, intends to bring the COVID Relief Bill for another vote to Council in the coming weeks. Upon receiving vetoed legislation, the Council must wait five days to act (SMC).
The City Council passed the JumpStart Progressive Revenue tax on Monday, July 6, 2020, after six weeks of public deliberations, hundreds of hours of stakeholder engagement, and hours of public comment. The COVID relief bill and spending plan resolution were unanimously passed by Council on July 20, 2020.
The vetoed COVID-19 Relief Bill would invest $86 million back into community through small businesses grants including childcare assistance for small business owners and workers, expansion of food vouchers to help those struggling to feed their families, rental assistance and funding to de-intensify the city’s shelter space, and support for our immigrant and refugee neighbors, many of whom have been denied state and federal COVID relief because of their immigrant status.
Through the JumpStart Seattle spending plan, the City would replenish its emergency funds in 2021, while preserving city services, and supporting low-income, immigrant and homeless residents.