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By: Staff Reporter

Mayor Art Pappas announced a new path forward as the city emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, The Lumber City COVID Relief Initiative. With the passage of the massive federal stimulus bill, North Tonawanda is slated to receive $3.3 million in federal aid which will help as the city emerges from the most prolonged crisis the city has faced in decades.

While the City Council has been faced with lower revenues and cuts in state aid due to the pandemic, the city has fared pretty well compared to many other cities around the state. “The city was riding a wave of development and growth prior to the pandemic which has left us poised to rebound better than most places,” said Council President Robert Pecoraro.

While the city will not see the windfall of nearly $60 million that Niagara Falls will receive, the $3.3 million will help address areas that have suffered due to pandemic related cuts including infrastructure, Parks and Recreation, and strengthening the city’s finances. “The cuts in AIM and CHIPs funding has hurt, but the difficult decisions made by this council has left us in a position to come out of this crisis strong and resume the growth we have been experiencing in the Lumber City” said Mayor Pappas.

The funding will be distributed by New York State within 30 days of the initial Federal distribution to states. Pappas looks forward to discussing the plan in further detail with city officials in the coming days.