Its purpose, according to Assistant Springfield Mayor Dave Estrop, who helped form the group, is to get a sense of the local impact of federal cuts.
“We’re simply at this point trying to gather this information so that we can put it into some uniform method of informing ourselves in the community about the impact of all of this,” Estrop said. “We certainly will want to kick back to the state and federal decision makers the impact that it’s having on the community; they need to know when they make the budget cuts that they’re making what that means for Springfield and Clark County.”
Since taking office Jan. 20, President Donald Trump has unleashed a whirlwind of executive orders. His new Department of Government Efficiency, headed by billionaire Elon Musk, has dramatically slashed a variety of federal programs — many already allocated.
This included the cancellation of a more than $200,000 recent federal food shipment to Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign & Logan Counties about two weeks ago — food that is now “sitting in a warehouse,” Clark County Commissioner Charlie Patterson said.
The Clark County Combined Health District saw more than $2 million cut, which led to staff layoffs and reduction in services.
Patterson said potential reductions in Medicaid could impact around 13,000 Clark Countians, about 10% of the population.
“That’ll actually have long-term effects on our community, not just short-term,” Patterson said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Kerry Pedraza, executive director of United Way of Clark, Champaign and Madison Counties, said the nonprofit is currently overseeing one federal program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which includes funds for housing and rental assistance, as well as food, was put on hold.
This included about $60,000 earmarked for Sheltered Inc., Project Woman, and the local Salvation Army, Pedraza said.
“We don’t know a definitive number of how many (people) that would serve, but I would anticipate that it would be somewhere around 60 individuals,” Pedraza said. “Those are dollars that the nonprofits have actually already spent because it’s a reimbursement basis.”
If the nonprofits do not get these federal dollars, Pedraza said they will have to reexamine their budgets, which may lead to some cuts in services and staff.
The Clark County Emergency Management Agency is facing a similar situation, with $200,000 spent according to a federal grant that works on a reimbursement basis, Patterson said.
“That’s kind of like pulling the rug out from under you,” Patterson said.
Down the line, Estrop said the group may look into how to make up for some of these funding losses.
The group aims to gather hard data that includes details on the impacts to people rather than numbers, Estrop said. He said the group does not intend to speculate on potential impacts.
Local government and nonprofits are trying to not overreact, taking into consideration the ever-changing nature of federal decisions, Patterson said. He used the example of recent significant changes to tariffs on other countries.
“The other issue here is that we’re a community who has a higher poverty rate and the majority of the cuts that I’m seeing that have already happened or have been proposed to happen are cuts to people who typically don’t have voices and who typically are already in jeopardy and need help, but they’re the ones also that can’t speak up,” Patterson said.
Pedraza said Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck sent a survey out to members of the group to compile a comprehensive list of all the local impacts.
“It makes so much sense that from a community perspective, we’re able to give an overview ... to have one cohesive message and voice about the total impact that this is going to have on our community,” Pedraza said. “It is very powerful.”
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