Kane County municipalities scramble to assess impacts of proposed federal funding freeze

Kane County governments and organizations are trying to assess just how a proposed freeze on federal grants and loans will impact operations and services, and everything from infrastructure projects to non-profits could be affected.

The White House put a pause on federal grants and loans Tuesday, as President Donald Trump’s administration begins tightening the belt on federal spending.

Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns said they’re “all scrambling to figure out the details, length of delay, immediate, mid-term and long-term impact.”

“The non-profits are particularly impacted,” Burns said. “Even funds delivered via state coffers to nonprofit organizations are in a terrible position.”

White House representatives claimed federal assistance for individuals, like Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, student loans and scholarships, will not be affected.

St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek said city staff is currently working to assess which of their projects may be affected by the freeze.

Vitek said public works projects, the procurement of the police department’s body-worn cameras and various road programs were some of the first plans identified as likely to be affected by the pause in funding.

“All we’re going to do now is start documenting those things and monitor it and hope that that changes,” Vitek said. “Obviously it’s not a positive thing for anyone when that happens… We do depend on grants, and that’s just something we’re going to have to look at and see what alternative sources we can identify.”

The Associated Press reported that the funding freeze could affect trillions of dollars, at least temporarily, causing disruption in health care research, education programs and other initiatives. Per the order from the White House, even grants that have been awarded but not spent are supposed to be halted.

Fermilab in Batavia, run by the U.S. Department of Energy, is also assessing the potential impact.

“The Department of Energy is conducting a department-wide review, which includes funding such as grants and loans, to ensure all activities are consistent with President Trump’s executive orders and priorities,” DOE press secretary Ben Dietderich, said. “The American people provided President Trump with a mandate to govern and to unleash ‘American Energy Dominance.’ The Department of Energy is hard at work to deliver on President Trump’s promise to restore affordable, reliable, and secure energy to the American people.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held a news conference Tuesday afternoon, where she addressed several of the Trump Administration’s new policies, including the federal funding freeze.

Leavitt said the reason for the freeze is to ensure that federal spending is not conflicting with the exec orders and actions President Trump has taken. She said this will mean an end for federally funded DEI programs, green initiatives and “transgenderism and woke-ness.”

Late Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that a federal judge had temporarily halted the freeze.