Last night, the new Acting Director of the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum stating that as of 5 PM today, “...Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.”
The memorandum contained few concrete details on how the 'pause' will affect federally-funded County programs and services, but appears broad in its sweep, and County Executive Jen Metzger has expressed serious concerns about potential impacts on our communities.
“This federal decision could have very serious consequences for our communities and do real harm," said County Executive Jen Metzger. "The County administers about $60 million in federally funded projects, programs, and services — everything from emergency preparedness and public safety, to housing, child welfare protection, programs for seniors, public health, public transit, and infrastructure. The memorandum gives no consideration to the impact of this freeze on real people, and I thank Attorney General James and the other states planning to file suit against the federal government on the constitutionality of this decision."
In November, Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher released an impact report on Federal funding that illustrates how Federal funds are utilized at the County level:
