Barnstable County delegates move to sustain AmeriCorps after federal funding cut

Administrator Dutton told the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates on May 7 that the federal AmeriCorps grant supporting AmeriCorps Cape Cod was suddenly cut, forcing the county to terminate the existing federal program and to seek short-term local measures.

"A week ago this past Sunday, we received notification that, the AmeriCorps, the federal AmeriCorps dollars that, flow into the county, from, obviously, from the federal government, were being cut," Administrator Dutton said, calling the situation "kind of a confusing mess." The administration said it would convert the existing federally funded program into a locally managed "Cape Cod core" for roughly the next three months and keep current members on through the end of the program year.

The change affects a small, residential service program on Cape Cod. Dutton said the county currently has nine AmeriCorps members this program year and had received about 70 applicants for next year before the funding change. The county plans to continue providing housing and basic supports for the current members through the program year, but said the federal educational stipend typically paid at the end of service — described in the meeting as a $7,500 AmeriCorps education award — will be prorated and may not be fully replaced if the county runs its own program.

Dutton described deadlines imposed by the statewide program office, the Massachusetts Service Alliance (MSA), and said local staff (including AmeriCorps director Misty Niemeyer and Cooperative Extension director Mike McGuire) were working to meet unclear federal exit requirements. He told delegates that the state government and some 19 states had filed lawsuits challenging the federal action but that no immediate court remedy was evident as of the meeting.

Delegates asked about housing and staff continuity; Dutton said three housing sites (in Pocasset, Barnstable and Wellfleet) remain available and that the county owns one of the houses. He said projections showed the county could absorb the remainder of the program year without asking the assembly for additional funds and that staff and member positions were included in those projections.

Following discussion, Delegate Juan Colombo read a drafted letter to U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey and Representative William Keating asking federal lawmakers to restore AmeriCorps funding for Cape Cod. The assembly voted to send the joint letter and copy the Cape Cod delegation; the roll call shows the measure passed with 14 delegates voting yes, representing 97.25% of the county population.

Delegates and the administrator discussed options for longer-term continuity: (1) scaling a county-run program to fit the county appropriation, (2) partnering with a state program such as the Commonwealth Corps or Commonwealth Conservation Corps, or (3) forming a nonprofit to accept charitable donations. Several delegates urged that the county preserve capacity to take in applicants and keep a presence for the program year so that an eventual federal restoration or new grant could be more easily implemented.

The assembly did not adopt a change to the county budget at the meeting specifically to create a new long-term funding stream for AmeriCorps; instead, administrators said they would convene service partners and potential donors and return with options. A one‑page, assembly-approved letter in support of restoring federal funding was prepared and approved for transmittal to the federal delegation.