WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today announced that the Lafayette City-Parish government is receiving more than $7.1 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds.
Lafayette will use the grant funds for normal and extraordinary operating expenses, purchase of rolling stock, and paratransit services. The total amount of the grant is $7,129,789. It was rewarded by the Federal Transit Authority (FTA).
“Local government budgets are suffering due to lost revenue and extra costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. These federal funds will assist the city-parish government provide essential services for the people it serves,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Cassidy has been a leading advocate in Washington for federal support for state and local governments. He introduced a bipartisan bill, the SMART Act, that provides $500 billion in relief funds to be divided equally: one-third based on population, one-third based on infection rate, and one-third based on revenue loss.
Local leaders in Louisiana have rallied behind Cassidy’s proposal. He has received support from 22 parish presidents, including Lafayette’s Josh Guillory; more than 80 mayors and the Louisiana Municipal Association; and Louisiana’s chambers of commerce.
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