BRADENTON — A recent action by the Trump Administration has left over two hundred million in federal grant money awarded to Manatee County in limbo. The funds, intended to assist in the long-term rebuilding of disaster-impacted areas, were awarded to Manatee County by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
An item scheduled on Tuesday’s BOCC meeting agenda was planned to be something of a celebratory announcement of the awarded federal assistance.
“This is big,” said Grants Administration Division Manager Michele Davis. “This is the largest grant that Manatee County has received.”
However, when opening the item for presentation, County Administrator Charlie Bishop explained that some of that excitement had turned to uncertainty.
“About two weeks ago, we were very excited to learn that Manatee County was awarded $252,711,000 in a CBDG resilience grant,” Bishop began. “We’re very excited about this, and this is our first opportunity to sit with the board and have a discussion about this in public.”
The administrator continued, “Unfortunately, last night, that spirit was dampened a little bit by a hold put on by the Trump Administration.”
Administrator Bishop told commissioners that the county fully intends to continue in the grant awards process.
The US Office of Management and Budget and the Executive Office of the President issued the federal funding freeze memorandum on Monday.
As reported by NPR, the memo created confusion among federal and even local agencies, as it appeared to call for a broad and sweeping halt of all federal funding and grant programs until all programs could complete a systematic review to ensure that they align with the new administration's priorities.
According to the memo’s directive, the temporary pause in funding was to take effect at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. A senior administration official told NPR that the pause could be as short as a day if an agency determines its programs are in compliance.
On Tuesday afternoon, the White House and OMB issued a “Q&A” to clarify the earlier memo and the specific types of federal programs impacted by the funding pause.
The information provided in the Q&A stated that “any program not implicated by the President’s Executive Orders is not subject to the pause,” but the details still leave federal funding awards—such as HUD grants—in question.
The White House stated that the pause is not “across the board” and only applies to programs, projects, and activities implicated by President Trump’s executive orders ending DEI, the Green New Deal, and the "funding of nongovernmental organizations that undermine the national interest.” It went on to clarify that, “any program that provides direct benefits to Americans is explicitly excluded” from the pause and review process.
Examples provided by the White House of excluded programs included Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP, as well as funds for small businesses, farmers, Pell grants, Head Start, rental assistance, and “other similar programs.”
The clarification sheet made no mention of HUD funding or federal disaster relief or recovery grants, but did state the funding pause is “temporary.”
In clarifying why the funding pause was necessary, the official statement of the White House read, “To act as faithful stewards of taxpayer money, new administrations must review federal programs to ensure that they are being executed in accordance with the law and the new President’s policies.”
The HUD Community and Development Block Grant for Disaster Relief was awarded to Manatee County due to damages sustained by Hurricane Helene and Milton. HUD’s determination for distributing these funds is based on the severity of disaster damages and the needs of eligible states and local governments.
According to county staff, the state of Florida, as a whole, was awarded more than $2 billion through the program. Presumably, all of those federal funds are (at least) temporarily on hold.
The grant funds are awarded for both rebuilding and improvements within low to moderate-income areas within Presidentially declared disaster areas, including for housing rehabilitation or reconstruction, infrastructure restoration, economic revitalization, mitigation planning, and community development projects.
Some examples of approved uses of the funding, as provided by staff on Tuesday, included local land acquisitions for the development of flood control or stormwater mitigation, projects to widen bridges or roads to better accommodate evacuations during hurricanes, infrastructure elevation projects, or to “buy out” residences or businesses in coastal high-hazard zones.
During the item’s presentation, county staff displayed a map provided by HUD that showed the areas of Manatee County that qualify for the use of the awarded funds shaded in green. (See image below)
While providing comment on the funding award and its potential use, Commissioner George Kruse touched on the impacts of Trump’s announcement of a federal funding freeze.
“I think that decision last night is way more impactful to Manatee County, whether or not it impacts the $252 million (awarded from HUD),” Kruse began.
“It’s going to affect a lot of other things in Manatee County…just waiting to see all the public comments at our next meetings if that money stops for even a week or two,” he added.
County officials must provide an Action Plan for use of the funds for public comment by March 22. The deadline for that plan to be submitted to HUD for a 45-day review is April 21.
Should the Trump Administration’s temporary pause ultimately not impact the release of the funds, or if the HUD disaster grants are eventually unfrozen, HUD’s six-year funding agreement with Manatee County could start as soon as June 1.
Non-profit and municipality partners are encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for the CDBG-DR funding at this link.
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lib224
MAGAs, you got what you wanted.
Wednesday, January 29 Report this
gwtenery
Egg prices soon to drop precipitously ...
Wednesday, January 29 Report this
jimandlope
So let me see Trump is now “screwing over,” MAGA people by freezing funds intended for Manatee County. He previously ridiculed veterans but many voted for him. He pardoned police attackers after they voted for him. Hispanics are seeing their group attacked by the man they voted for. Likewise civil servants and government employees who also probably voted for him. What does it take folks? Jim Tierney
Wednesday, January 29 Report this
Lktinsanfran
I know where I would like to put Trump's "thumbs up" in the picture. The tyranny has begun. I admit that Biden was lame, but I'd rather have him than this misogynistic, White Supremist, criminal, dictator.
Wednesday, January 29 Report this
sandy
The freeze has been rescinded.
Wednesday, January 29 Report this
Graciela0107
Executive orders put in place and rescinded. Fast moving rulings, some of which are announced in the wee hours. Threats made to our allies. Termination of agreements with world organizations. All of this made in the first week of the new administration. All done to sow fear and confusion. These maneuvers are taking place while our heads are spinning and it gives them the opportunity to quietly put their cohorts in places that don’t need Senate approval or publicity. Very very scary. This is how fascism infiltrates a society; when the citizens are distracted worrying about what is being said and don’t know what’s being done in the background. In less than a week and we are already feeling it in Manatee County. Put on your seatbelts. More to come.
Wednesday, January 29 Report this