Local governments turn away $73M of federal pandemic aid

Mayor Willie Richter poses for a photo inside city hall Friday, May 27, 2022, in West Alton, Mo. The small city at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers turned down a potential $106,341 of federal coronavirus aid. The rejected amount was almost half the size of the city's budget. From small towns to big cities, every government across the U.S. was offered a slice of $350 billion of federal coronavirus relief funds to help shore up their finances, cover pandemic-related costs and invest in community projects. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)