Residents urge Montezuma County commissioners to press Washington over federal funding cuts

Multiple Montezuma County residents used the public comment period at the Feb. 25 Board of County Commissioners meeting to ask county officials to press federal representatives over proposed cuts to Medicaid, veterans benefits and other federal programs.

The comments began with Alan Mays, who identified himself as a resident of 21693 County Road 21 in Lewis and said he attended a recent "Coffee with the County" event. Mays said the meeting raised questions about county finances and whether travel to Washington, D.C., by county officials could be reduced if meetings could be held by video.

Rebecca Busick, of 14745 Road 26, told commissioners that federal funding decisions could have large local impacts. She said Tri-State’s qualification for federal funding could save "$430,000,000 in rural consumer benefits over the next 10 years," and listed several other federally backed awards and amounts that she said were now uncertain, including $26,000,000 that the Southwest Water Conservation District…