Linn County supervisors form informal support team after pause on federal grants

Linn County supervisors on Jan. 29 discussed how the county should respond to a White House/Office of Management and Budget memo that directed federal agencies to review and, in some cases, pause certain grant and loan programs.

The discussion centered on establishing a board support team — a loosely affiliated group of department heads and staff — to identify grants and grant-funded positions that could be affected, coordinate information for county stakeholders and communicate with partners if the pause remained in effect. Darren Gage, director of policy administration, briefed the board on the OMB memo and subsequent court action.

"It seems like the federal government currently doesn't actually know the full scope of the programs that are going to be subject to the pause," Gage said, summarizing the judge's finding and the resulting injunction. Gage told the supervisors that OMB had required agencies to report programs implicated by the pause by Feb. 10, and that OMB later narrowed the earlier broad language to seven executive orders and said many major entitlements would not be affected.

The board discussed which departments should participate in the internal team and emphasized a need to identify programs that support housing, homelessness, transportation and other human services. "At a minimum, I think that us moving forward with an internal board support team" was appropriate, one supervisor said, adding they wanted to be prepared even as questions remained.

Several supervisors said the team's immediate task would be to act as a clearinghouse for county staff, partner agencies and elected officials and to determine whether and how community groups should be included if the pause lasted. Sarah Barrows, the county's budget director, joined discussions about likely fiscal impacts and internal reporting needs.

Late in the meeting, staff reported a federal judge had issued a temporary injunction halting the pause until at least Feb. 3. Board members agreed the injunction left the county in a status quo position for now and that the board support team need not be fully activated immediately, but supervisors asked that staff be prepared to convene the group quickly should the court lift the injunction or the guidance change.

The board did not adopt a formal, board‑approved committee; supervisors described the group as an operational support team that would report back to the board. Staff will notify the board and departments who is on the team and how information will be disseminated if the pause resumes or new guidance is issued.