A potential federal government shutdown was just hours away Tuesday evening, and agencies in the Roanoke area said they are preparing for the possible impact.
The Local Office on Aging in Roanoke has contingency plans ready in case of a shutdown. These plans would allow its Meals on Wheels and transportation programs to continue—at least temporarily. The agency learned from past shutdowns the importance of preparation.
“If indeed there is a shutdown, clients become concerned and worried, and we’ll start getting calls or our volunteers or staff will be interacting with clients and ... we went through that and realized we don’t want to create any unnecessary upset to our clients or our staff,” said Ron Boyd, president and CEO of the Local Office on Aging.
Boyd said roughly $300,000 to $500,000 a month for core programs comes from federal funding.
Other programs could face interruptions, including the WIC, or Women, Infant and Children, nutrition program. 10 News has reached out to the Virginia Department of Health for more information on potential impacts.
10 News political analyst and Hollins University professor Ed Lynch said there are factors that make this potential shutdown unique compared to others.
“It is a new fiscal year. And there are two other wrinkles that are different this time. Number one, President Trump has promised to use a shutdown to permanently fire tens of thousands of people from the federal bureaucracy, which is still a small percentage, but larger than anything else anyone has done. We also have these two governor’s races, one of them right here in Virginia,” he said.
Boyd said the Local Office on Aging is also prepared to answer questions from clients about possible impacts due to the shutdown, even as services like Social Security payments are expected to continue.