The State Auditor released a report on Tuesday noting that a funding formula proposed by the Newsom Administration disadvantaged smaller counties out of receiving their fair share of federal Coronavirus Relief Funds. This resulted in providing California’s 16 largest counties nearly double the economic relief per person than lower population counties to respond to the global public health emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the California Department of Public Health, COVID-19 case rates were just as high, and in some cases higher, in smaller counties than in the state’s largest counties. 

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed Congress, providing $9.3 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds to California, plus $4.5 billion in direct assistance to counties with populations greater than 500,000. While the Legislature approved $1.3 billion to counties, a formula devised by the Department of Finance allocated only half of this earmarked money for the remaining 42 lower population counties. Overall, urban counties received $190 per resident while rural and suburban counties were left with $102 per person from the Department of Finance to address public health and safety needs associated with the pandemic.

RCRC has advocated, and will continue to advocate, that Congress provide direct and equitable local assistance payments to all counties. See RCRC's related advocacy letters below.  To view the complete findings by the State Auditor, see here.

RCRC Letters