Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Federal Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Montezuma County commissioners to press Washington over federal funding cuts
Summary
Multiple residents told the Board of County Commissioners during public comment that proposed federal budget cuts threaten local healthcare, veterans benefits, agriculture and public lands; speakers urged county commissioners to use scheduled visits to Washington to press local members of Congress.
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 had qualified for and a $630,000 agreement that the Mancos Conservation District was told had been terminated. Busick also said local senior services were short about $16,000 in federal funding. "That doesn't seem like a lot in comparison…unless it's your lunch or your public transportation," she said.
Other residents described similar concerns. MB McAfee, of 22277 Road 20, said constituents expect commissioners to use their larger voice when meeting with federal officials and asked commissioners to press Representative Hurd about local concerns. Roy Brown of Mancos criticized proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare and recounted losing access to farmers market space when he operated a food truck.
Mary Dodd, 1324 Melrose St., said Montezuma County receives substantial monthly federal payments that support the local economy and health system. Dodd told commissioners the county receives "over $6,000,000 a month in Medicaid dollars," "over $700,000 a month in SNAP benefits," and "$30,000,000 in this county alone in veterans benefits," and warned that cuts could destabilize the hospital and other employers.
Corella Varek, 13449 Road 29 in Dolores, described three county vulnerabilities: livability (schools, hospitals, services), viability of agriculture dependent on federal grants and subsidies, and stewardship of public lands, saying, "This land is ours, not Elon Musk or any other billionaire corporations." Jennifer Magnuson, president of the Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce, urged commissioners to use their voice to protect tourism, agriculture and public-land services and asked the county to develop a contingency plan for wildfires given potential personnel cuts at the U.S. Forest Service. She referenced reports that some wildland firefighters had been placed on a prioritization list for termination.
Commissioner Kopenhofer responded during the later discussion, saying two commissioners (Travis and Kopenhofer) have a scheduled meeting with Representative Hurd on March 4 to discuss specific items including PILT (payments in lieu of taxes), SRS funding and public-lands issues. Kopenhofer also said local BLM offices had reported minimal immediate staffing losses and that local county officials were engaging federal partners to understand impacts.
Why it matters: Residents told commissioners that cuts at the federal level could reduce medical and food assistance, harm the hospital and tourism-based businesses, jeopardize agricultural grants and impair public-land management — all services that residents and speakers said support the local economy and quality of life.
What the county said it will do: Commissioners said they will meet with federal representatives in Washington, D.C., to press local funding priorities and continue conversations with federal land managers. Commissioners Travis and Kopenhofer confirmed a meeting with Representative Hurd was already scheduled for March 4.
The public comment period closed with no formal county action taken during that segment.
