Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics county governments in New York last week received a memorandum advising that funds to support mental health services were going to be withheld while the pursuit of federal dollars to short up the state budget continues. The economic recovery will take some time as governments at all levels statewide struggle to continue to provide basic services and to manage without interruptions. The ability to do that hinges on what the federal government will do and when it will act. “Recovery will be long and difficult, particularly for those communities hit the hardest, among them communities of color, and families with children," state lawmakers wrote last week. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in the spring that billions were needed to bolster the state's finances and to avoid 20 percent cuts to schools, local governments and health care. So far, those cuts have taken the form of withheld state aid, but could turn into permanent spending reductions in the future. The state is asking local governments to prepare now for a loss of funding in the coming weeks and months. In the memo to county governments from Mental Health Deputy Commissioner Emil Slane, local officials were asked to work with local field offices for the "development of a plan" in case a federal stimulus payment to states is not approved. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.