Mobile County Commission statement on the Jan. 27 Federal funding freeze

Posted on: Feb 1st, 2025 | Announcements

 

Mobile County Commission is the recipient of more than 50 multi-year federal grants valued in excess of $210 million.

 

The Mobile County Commission continues to review directives and guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and others related to recent Presidential orders.

 

Jan. 27, 2025, President Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ordered all federal agencies to temporarily block disbursement of grants and loans, excluding Social Security, Medicare, and other programs providing direct aid to individuals. That order was subsequently temporarily paused. Federal agencies must report to the OMB in February on programs within their purview that do not comply with several recently issued executive orders.  Guidance explains that the freeze is “expressly limited to programs, projects, and activities implicated by the President’s Executive Orders, such as ending DEI, the green new deal, and funding nongovernmental organizations that undermine the national interest” and that “any payment required by law to be paid will be paid without interruption or delay.”

 

Based on guidance, we believe the federally funded programs and projects administered by multiple Mobile County Commission departments should continue to receive federal funding. However, should these federal actions result in a temporary funding freeze, the Mobile County Commission is confident in its ability to continue to support its active programs and projects for the near term.

 

Some examples of Mobile County Commission’s federal grants and their managing departments are below:

 

Environmental Services Department

• BP Oil Spill penalty grants through the National Fish & Wildlife Federation, Natural Resource Damage Assessment, and RESTORE Act.  Example projects include:
  • Bayfront Park Improvements Project
  • Mobile County Blueway Project
  • The Dauphin Island Causeway Restoration Project
  • The Bayou La Batre City Docks Improvement project
  • Multiple water/sewer infrastructure projects for local municipalities: Bayou La Batre, Satsuma, Mount Vernon, Chickasaw

Grants Department

• HUD programs like Community Development Block Grants (CDBG and CDBG-Disaster Recovery), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), and the HOME program. Example programs include:
  • Funding for various nonprofit agencies
  • Emergency Roof Replacement
  • Down Payment Assistance
  • Development of Affordable Housing
  • CDBG-funded infrastructure improvement projects
• Federal Highway Safety grants for programs like “Click it or Ticket”
• Americorps Senior Programs like RSVP, Senior Companions, and Foster Grandparents, which provide volunteer opportunities to those aged 55+ in areas of community service, senior companionship, mentoring/tutoring youth with behavioral challenges.

Engineering Department 

• Federal funds for road construction and improvement projects are assigned to Mobile County via the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
  Current projects include additional lanes on these major thoroughfares:
  • Airport Boulevard to Snow Road S.
  • Zeigler Boulevard to Snow Road S.
  • Zeigler Boulevard from Tanner Williams Road to Schillinger Road
  • McDonald Road from I-10 to Old Pascagoula Road
  • Three Notch-Kroner Road from McDonald Road to Schillnger Road
  • McDonald Road from Old Pascagoula Road to Three Notch-Kroner Road
  • Three Notch-Kroner Road from McFarland Road to McDonald Road

 

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ABOUT MOBILE COUNTY COMMISSION:
Commissioners: President Merceria Ludgood (District 1), Connie Hudson (District 2), and Randall Dueitt (District 3). As the governing body for Mobile County, Alabama, the Commission is responsible for budget and infrastructure decision-making that enhances quality of life and makes Mobile County a great place to live, work, play, and visit. Mobile County Commission maintains almost 1,400 miles of roads, 160 bridges, 100 buildings, multiple parks, and provides funding for all County operations, including the Sheriff’s Department, Metro Jail, License Commissioner, Revenue Commissioner, and Probate Judge. The Commission is integral to economic development within the region and is committed to increasing public access to water through its Parks Initiative.

 

ABOUT MOBILE COUNTY, ALABAMA:
Established in 1812. Population: 411,640 (Census, 2023). Size: 1,233 square miles of land (962 unincorporated) and 412 square miles of water. Logistics highlights: Alabama State Port, Intersection of I-10 and I-65, Five Class 1 railroads, Two airports. Top industry clusters: Aviation/Aerospace, Chemical, Healthcare, IT/Tech, Logistics/Distribution, Maritime, Oil & Gas; Economic Development: from 2010 to 2024, about 14,500 new jobs were created (Mobile Chamber).  Annual GDP: Third largest in Alabama, about $25 billion (bea.gov 2023).  11 Municipalities: Bayou La Batre, Chickasaw, Citronelle, Creola, Dauphin Island, Mobile (county seat), Mount Vernon, Prichard, Saraland, Satsuma, and Semmes.

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