Gaithersburg council authorizes fee waivers for furloughed federal workers through June 30, 2026

The Gaithersburg mayor and city council on Oct. 6 approved a resolution giving the city manager authority to waive fees for certain recreation programs for federal employees and contractors affected by federal furloughs, in a unanimous 5-0 vote.

The measure, introduced in the meeting’s ordinances and resolutions section, directs the city manager to provide assistance “by waiving fees for specific recreation programs offered by the city's department of parks, Recreation, and Culture until the federal furlough is concluded,” language read aloud by Assistant City Manager Karen Turner. The council adopted a friendly amendment to authorize the fee waivers through the city’s fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, to allow flexibility if shutdowns start and stop.

Mayor (name not specified) told the council the item was prompted by the city’s local exposure: “Our staff estimates that somewhere between 12–13% of our city's resident workforce are federal employees,” a point used to justify a local response. City staff also reviewed nonshutdown services and county partnerships available to affected workers, including the Mobilize Montgomery resource hub and local utility assistance programs such as Pepco and WSSC.

Councilmembers said they wanted the city manager to use the authority liberally. The amendment to set an endpoint of June 30, 2026, was moved, seconded and approved before the full resolution passed on a 5-0 voice vote.

The resolution takes effect immediately, and staff said the Community Services Office would continue connecting residents to broader supports — including food, housing, mental health and job services — while the fee-waiver authority is in place. The council also noted the city does not operate utilities directly but will continue to point residents to utility-company assistance programs.

The council did not set a dollar cap for the waivers in the resolution; the action grants discretionary authority to the city manager to implement fee waivers for qualifying recreation programs during the specified period.

Looking ahead, staff will implement the waivers at the discretion of the city manager and continue outreach to affected residents through the Community Services Office and the city’s communications channels.