Hamilton County leaders discuss federal grants and wonder what future holds
Agencies, including Job and Family Services, closely monitoring calls for cuts in Washington, D.C.
Agencies, including Job and Family Services, closely monitoring calls for cuts in Washington, D.C.
Agencies, including Job and Family Services, closely monitoring calls for cuts in Washington, D.C.
Hamilton County commissioners spent time on Tuesday focusing on federal funding streams that flow to the county from Washington, D.C.
"We have about $346 million total federal funding that flows into the county. And that's active federal funding," said Deputy Assistant Hamilton County Administrator Anson Turley.
That impacting a wide range of services.
"Disability services, jobs and family support, public health and infrastructure, public safety," Turley said.
Much of the money is in the form of federal grants.
Commissioner Alicia Reece worries some grants could get caught up in the White House's push to reduce government spending.
"We're living in a time that even though you went through all of it, got the paperwork, got the grant, and you're planning on it 바카라 게임 웹사이트 we're at a point now where it might say insufficient funds because of the leadership that's happening in Washington," Reece said.
County Engineer Eric Beck is in wait-and-see mode when it comes to federal dollars tied to projects like improving the Fields-Ertel Road intersection and making sure local brides are safe.
"We're not sure if the feds will actually come through with the money or not," Beck said. "If they don't, probably 50 percent of those projects would be postponed."
After hearing from department heads, Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas noted the county's current budget is in good shape, but said things could change depending on what happens in D.C.
"I just want people to know in the room that this is not a discussion of gloom and doom. But this is us dealing with reality," Summerow Dumas said.
Hamilton County Public Health was not a big part of Tuesday's conversation. 바카라게임's Todd Dykes reached out to the agency after the meeting and learned a federal COVID-19 readiness grant that was supposed to be active through December had come to an end, reflecting a loss of approx. $875,000.
Via email, a spokesperson for the health department wrote that the "grant supported staff doing communicable disease reporting and investigations, preparedness activities, and database development. Much of this work has been shifted to other funding sources and will continue uninterrupted."