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Harney County authorizes judge to submit comment on proposed federal grant rule changes
Summary
The county court authorized the judge to submit a concise, county-specific comment by July 13 on a proposed overhaul of federal grant rules that would increase reporting and give agencies more authority to terminate awards midstream; commissioners expressed concern about administrative burden on small counties.
Harney County Court on July 1 authorized the presiding judge to submit a comment letter by the July 13 deadline responding to a federal rulemaking proposal that would tighten reporting and accountability for recipients of federal financial assistance.
Court members said the proposed changes (reviewed in the packet as a multi-page federal register notice) could impose significant administrative burdens on small counties and create the ability for federal agencies to terminate grants midstream if the program no longer aligns with national priorities. Commissioners discussed signing a concise, county-specific letter rather than a lengthy form letter so the county's concerns would be clearer to federal reviewers.
The court moved and seconded a motion delegating authority to the judge to sign and submit the letter on behalf of the court before the July 13 comment deadline. The motion carried on voice vote.
Why it matters: Proposed regulatory changes could affect how smaller counties apply for and administer competitive federal grants; increased reporting and midstream termination authority may reduce smaller governments' appetite to pursue certain federal funding.
Next steps: The judge will finalize and file a short county comment before July 13; staff indicated they may coordinate with partner counties and groups and use targeted language tailored to Harney County's capacity concerns.
