The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) spent much of their Tuesday, Jan. 28, agenda-setting meeting devising an action plan in case President Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze took place.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 4, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan paused the plan for the freeze, and despite the memo outlining the plans have since been rescinded, Republican officials have said that a federal funding freeze is still planned.
Commissioner Carolina Mejia motioned to give direction to staff and County Manager Leonard Hernandez to gather information regarding federal funds the county currently has through directly from the federal government or through the state, as well as funds that have yet to be allocated and pending grants the county is waiting on. While Hernandez recommended narrowing down the request to focus on federal funding that could be impacted by Trump’s executive order, Mejia’s motion was approved unanimously.
Commissioner Wayne Fournier, the board’s vice chair, expressed his displeasure with the executive order, saying there’s potential for “massive implications” with the Trump administration. He added that the county is “flying blind right now.”
“Our state is one that is, for various reasons, going to be in the crosshairs with the feds, and our governor wasn’t great friends with the president last term,” he said. “The president clearly is willing to use any type of leverage that he can to just change behavior or impose his will, and I think we need to take a really careful approach at anything we do that we’re not already locked into some kind of contract on.”
Mejia told staff that she would like to see how the potential freeze could impact departments such as emergency services, public works, housing, the auditor’s office and the sheriff’s office.
“I know that they are very active in getting federal funds, and I want to see where we are at on that. I think it’s just good for the board to know where we stand,” she said. “I know it’s going to be a heavy lift to get that information.”
Mejia also advised her seatmates and county staff that the county should look into a federal lobbyist to keep track of any further executive orders or federal actions.
“I thought we were going to be able to survive without one. I was a big proponent of it last time, and unfortunately, the company we had didn’t work out,” she said. “I think based on the multiple executive orders that are coming, not knowing how this is going to be affecting us or if there are going to be clawbacks, and just not knowing, I think it’s good that we have someone with experience in D.C. that is able to assist us.”
