Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
The chaos within the federal government has had a resounding impact on Prince George’s County, Maryland, with about 10% of jobs in the county related to the federal government. This, in addition to the numerous government workers who live in Maryland and commute to Washington D.C. for work, has made the lives of the county’s citizens much more difficult. However, the full impact that the disarray in the federal government has had is not yet fully known.
This has made it far more difficult for the county to manage its $170 million budget gap. The county office of management and budget director, Stanley Earley, said, “There is a level of uncertainty that I have not seen, and I don’t think any of us have seen.” Education funding has remained a large concern because of state and federal requirements. Earley also stated, “There’s about $300 million of federal grants that go to the Board of Education, and those grants are at risk, but to what degree I don’t know. And neither does the board,” he said. “That is a giant issue.” In addition to this, money from the federal government that goes to the state could also be at risk. This would significantly hinder the amount of money available to hundreds of people who rely on federal and state-funded initiatives for education.
