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County officials brief supervisors on likely federal shutdown and local impacts
Summary
Deputy county managers and the health director told the board a federal funding lapse was likely the next day and outlined likely disruptions: national parks and federal land operations, paused Impact Aid payments to school districts, and constrained HHS programs including potential WIC and Medicaid timing effects.
County leadership told the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 30 they expected a federal funding lapse imminently and outlined possible local impacts to county operations and residents.
Deputy County Manager Eric Peterson said, based on conversations in Washington, D.C., a federal shutdown was “99.9%” likely and could last several weeks. County staff described three broad impact areas: federal land operations and recreation management, federal funding flows to local partners (especially Impact Aid for school districts), and health-and-human-services programs administered through federal grants.
Keith (county government affairs) and other staff said that a full shutdown would be different from prior partial shutdowns: earlier funding measures had left some departments operating, whereas an across-the-board lapse would pause many federal functions. The county has prepared a letter to the state asking Arizona to consider temporary measures — such as state funding to help keep certain high-profile federal-managed recreation areas open and accessible — should federal services stop.
Michelle Axland, director of Health and Human Services, briefed the board on program-level effects. She said Medicaid funding would be secure for “one quarter” but that other reimbursement mechanisms may be affected if a shutdown extends. She called out WIC benefits and noted the state had 2–3 weeks of funding on hand for food benefits while the county’s WIC staff payroll had enough funds for roughly eight weeks. Axland said Indian Health Service funding for portions of the county was not expected to stop immediately because the agency had already received appropriations for some regions.
Staff highlighted education Impact Aid as a critical exposure for districts that serve large federal- or tribal-affiliated student populations: Tuba City Unified receives roughly $13 million annually and Page Unified roughly $8 million in Impact Aid; a funding pause could force payroll gaps, service reductions and costly borrowing by those districts, staff said. The county emphasized it could not backfill large Impact Aid shortfalls without external assistance.
Board members discussed the county’s previously established reserve and stabilization funds. County leadership urged residents, partners and local governments to plan for disruptions and said staff would provide updates as federal guidance changed. Communications staff said they would coordinate public information and work with state partners to request emergency state assistance for federal lands in the event of a shutdown.
No formal board action was taken; staff requested direction to continue intergovernmental coordination and to prepare outreach and contingency plans.
