Local budget planners, health and criminal justice directors, and the Dallas County judge scrambled Tuesday to organize and review the county's budget in the wake of President Donald Trump's executive memo pausing grants, loans and federal financial assistance nationwide.
The memo directs federal agencies to identify and review programs and activities supported by federal grants and loans, and put a hold on programs determined to be a "waste of taxpayer dollars." That directive was put on hold Tuesday afternoon until at least Monday as a federal judge reviews the action.
Federal funds in Dallas County are used on education, health and law enforcement, among other programs. If allowed to go through, the funding pause could have impacted services like DNA testing, the Health and Human Services department and transportation, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said at a press conference Tuesday.
"These pauses would’ve been extremely detrimental," Jenkins said.
Last year, Dallas County budgeted more than $232 million in federal grants and assistance. This year federal money totals about $165 million of the county budget.
But taken as a whole, the memo’s “ambiguous” wording could impact federal resources of all stripes, Jenkins said. He estimated as much as $275 million, including $71 million in sewage and public works, $6 million in criminal justice and $7 million for transportation.
“We can’t do that with just the taxes that you pay,” Jenkins said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
