How could the federal government shutdown impact Austin, Travis County?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a memo to city leaders, the city of Austin laid out how the federal government shutdown may impact the city. Travis County leaders also discussed that topic during a commissioner’s court meeting Tuesday.

City of Austin

“The City of Austin is actively preparing for potential impacts to local programs and services,” the city memo said.

The city released several “key considerations” which included possible impacts to federal grants, air travel, passports, congressional offices and economic data releases. The city listed some of those impacts:

• Federal Grants: Grants.gov will remain open and continue to accept applications. However,
  applications may not be reviewed until staff return. Departments are being encouraged to
  submit applications before deadlines, regardless of a shutdown.
• Grant Drawdowns: Some departments may not be able to draw down awarded federal
  funds.
• Air Travel: TSA agents and over 13,000 FAA air traffic controllers will continue working as
  essential employees, though many FAA support staff (approx. 11,000) may be furloughed.
• Passports: The State Department will continue issuing passports, but passport offices
  located in federal buildings may close.

You can find the full list here.

Meanwhile, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) said his concern at the Austin airport is with air traffic controllers, who are federal employees. They are considered essential workers but would not be paid until the shutdown is over.

“We now have only 27 of the 60 air traffic controllers that we are supposed to have, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. And those people are working six day a week, mandatory overtime, overworked, understaffed. And if they as essential workers, which they are, continue to serve without pay for an extended period of time, we only need a few of them to not come to work to create a real crisis,” Doggett said.

Doggett also said while his office will be fully staffed, his ability to coordinate with federal workers to help Austin constituents may be impacted.

“When we make calls trying to resolve issues that our constituents have from small business to immigration to healthcare, there may not be anyone at the other end of the line,” Doggett said.

Travis County

“I wish I was here more often with happy news but once again I’m here with not so happy news,” County grant administrator Dashiell Daniels started his presentation during Tuesday’s Travis County Commissioner’s Court meeting.

The county is also focusing on how federal grants may be impacted by the shutdown.

“At the end of the day it realistically should not have any severe impacts,” Daniels said of the county’s grant portfolio. “The current grant awards equaling about $36 million have already been obligated to Travis County using funds appropriated in previous legislation.”

Daniels said the county spends roughly $1.4 million per month out of the grant portfolio. There’s $1.3 million still pending in grant reimbursements, he said.

Daniels did say there could be delays in those reimbursements due to furloughed staff. He does not believe staff being laid off would impact that process.

“If there are delays, the county auditor’s office and grants administration have discussed continuing payments and continuing the projects using operating cash as we normally do,” Daniels said. That’s as long as the county doesn’t get what’s called a “stop work order.”

“Should the shutdown extend for several weeks, grants administration will return to brief commissioner’s court on any such impacts,” Daniels said.