Covid-19 is an unfolding health and financial crisis for US local governments

With disputes between the US federal and state governments as to how best to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic ongoing, many local governments have had to respond to the crisis on their own. Bruce D. McDonald, III and Sarah E. Larson write that for many of these local governments, Covid-19 is a double crisis. Not only is it a public health emergency, it is also a financial crisis as sales tax revenues plummet because of stay at home policies at the same time as health expenditures are on the rise.