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Council tells Public Works to notify JIRR contractors to stop work if federal extension not secured
Summary
The council approved a resolution directing the chief administrative officer to issue notices to suspend or stop all JIRR (federally funded road) contracts effective Jan. 1, 2026, unless an extension or reimbursement is secured, citing fiscal risk to the general fund and revenue anticipation notes.
The City Council on Dec. 18 passed a resolution asking the chief administrative officer to instruct the Department of Public Works to issue notices suspending or stopping all JIRR-funded contracts effective Jan. 1, 2026 unless the federal program is extended or reimbursement is guaranteed.
Sponsors said the city faces uncertainty over whether the JIRR program will be extended past Dec. 31 and that continuing work without confirmed reimbursement would force general-fund expenditures the city cannot cover during a budget crisis. "If you are doing work after December 31 ... you do so at your own risk," a sponsor told contractors during debate. The legislative auditor’s concerns about spending money that might not be reimbursed were cited by council members as a reason for caution.
Council moved under suspension of rules to add and adopt the resolution; the motion carried 5–0. The resolution directs staff to notify contractors and to protect the city's budget and bond-related covenants if federal funding lapses.
