Impact of federal shutdown will be negligible at first, local official says

Ingham County Commissioner Andy Schor says the looming shutdown of the federal government will have negligible impact on the state and local communities.

Schor, who is also assistant director for State Affairs at the Michigan Municipal League, called Michigan Messenger after completing a conference call briefing with the White House.

“It seems that any program that has already been funded will continue,” he said.

Those would be programs that are funded by grants, or things like Community Development Block Grants, which are funded in lumps via the previous budgets.

Schor said that many communities asked the White House whether they would be reimbursed if they covered the costs of positions normally funded by the federal government.

He said that White House officials told the local governments that Congress would have to pass a law to allow them to be reimbursed and that the Obama administration would support such legislation in the event of a shutdown.

Ultimately, Schor said, there is not a “global answer” to the questions of funding continuation in specific positions or departments.

If the government does shut down it could become more difficult to sort out these questions. Communication between state and local officials the feds could be significantly impacted come Monday, because there might not be anyone available to update websites with necessary information, and staff may not be available to answer phone calls and e-mail asking about specific positions.

For more on the federal government funding plans, visit the Office of Management and Budget website dedicated to the contingency plans.