Though a federal judge has temporarily blocked the order and the White House’s original memo has been rescinded, the Trump administration’s proposed freeze on federal grants, loans and other funding streams has left many local governments, organizations and community groups in Johnson County waiting for clarity.
The potential freeze calls into question the fate of millions of dollars expected to flow into Johnson County for various projects, regional partnerships, community initiatives and other programs over the next few years.
The Trump administration’s stated justification for the pause, articulated in a memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget issued Monday, is to give federal agencies time to review funding programs that may “advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies” that do not align with the new administration’s priorities.
Though many of the Johnson County initiatives funded by federal grants seem unlikely to be of concern on those fronts, the confusion that followed the original memo and its later rescinding has put local governments, schools and nonprofits on edge.Â
Federal funds pay for a variety of programs in Johnson County, including money school districts receive for things like meals for low-income students, cities’ small- and large-scale infrastructure projects, and countywide efforts to combat food insecurity and health inequity.
Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat who represents Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, called the White House’s move to halt federal funds in this manner “irresponsible,” “harmful” and “probably reckless.”
“At a time when people are struggling to make ends meet, any cuts to critical programs or cuts to infrastructure upgrades that are going to help our supply chain, cuts to health care initiatives, would create unnecessary roadblocks and frustration for folks here at home,” Davids said in an interview this week with the Post.
There’s been some back and forth on the funding freeze
- The broad freeze that would have covered “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance” was initially meant to take effect Tuesday evening, but a federal judge issued a temporary order blocking it.
- Later, the United States Office of Management and Budget rescinded the memo, but Karoline Leavitt, President Trump’s White House press secretary, said on social media soon afterward that the review was still on.
- A hearing is scheduled in federal court Monday morning related to the freeze and the court order temporarily blocking it.
- Some have called into question the constitutionality of the executive branch’s move to block funding since it is the legislative branch of the U.S. government that holds the power to secure allocations.
Some Johnson County projects are uncertain
While the legal fight over the funding freeze plays out at the national level, local officials and organizations generally appear to be taking a guarded wait-and-see approach.
Still, there are anxieties about the fate of funding, even if the total amount that could be impacted is hard to assess at the moment.
Johnson County Chair Mike Kelly said that while the scope of changes to federal funding disbursement and its impacts at this stage is uncertain, “even a temporary freeze would impact our most vulnerable residents.”
“We (Johnson County) rely on federal funding to support our excellent quality of life here. The ideology of the current administration can’t simply circumvent law and constitutionality,” Kelly said. “We have a lot more questions than answers, but important quality services are what we will aim to continue to provide.”
Davids’ office said approximately $80 million in federal funding for the county government that has been “awarded but not yet received” might be at risk if a freeze is ultimately implemented.
Those funds are promised for things like reconstructing the taxiway at the Johnson County Executive Airport, addressing backlogs in investigatory DNA testing at the Sheriff’s Office, prosecuting complex money laundering cases and asset forfeiture investigations.
Cities are in ‘uncharted waters’
Cities could see impacts of their own.
The city of Olathe alone is supposed to get around $100 million in federal funds to support capital improvement projects in the next five years.
“We’re evaluating what this means for the city of Olathe,” said Chief Communications Officer Cody Kennedy, in a statement that echoed what other cities told the Post.
One major project in Olathe expected to get federal funding is the Santa Fe Street and Interstate 35 corridor and interchange project, a long-anticipated upgrade to the city’s most congested intersection.
A total of $98 million has been promised to the project in federal infrastructure grant funds, which come from the U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed under the Biden administration.
In Overland Park, at least $15 million in federal funding is expected to come to city projects between 2025 and 2027, according to that city’s capital improvement plan. That includes cash support for improvements to 167th Street between Switzer and Antioch roads, and enhancements for mobility to the College Boulevard and Metcalf corridor.
“We are still gathering information on potential impacts the recent executive orders may have on funding for city projects,” said Meg Ralph, Overland Park’s director of communications. “Like other organizations, we will wait to learn more information.”
Smaller cities in Johnson County are also waiting to see what could become of funding for their projects that have been identified for federal support.
For instance, Mission and Roeland Park have partnered on a program to bring e-bikes to their cities via a grant from the Carbon Reduction Program, also part of the federal infrastructure law. Roeland Park is also working with the county to get electric vehicle chargers installed at its community center through the same grant program.
“We are in a holding pattern at this point to determine the future of this funding and what will be available for the programs awarded,” said Roeland Park Assistant City Administrator Jennifer Jones-Lacy. “At this point, we do not have clear guidance on this program.”
Mission City Administrator Laura Smith said information about possible impacts is sparse.
“We are definitely in uncharted waters and an unprecedented time,” she said.
Smith estimated Mission is set to receive around $8 million that might be affected by a pause, $6 million of which was designated for Johnson Drive improvements scheduled for next year. It could also affect grants for public safety equipment and money to study possible improvements to the Rock Creek Trail.
The Mid-America Regional Council, which disburses federal funding to local governments and community groups in the Kansas City region, is unsure of what’s next as well.
“We receive and administer a lot of federal funding and some of it may be at risk,” said Kristin Johnson-Waggoner, director of communications.
Federal funding touches local schools
The amount of federal funding school districts receive varies across Johnson County depending on enrollment numbers and several other factors, like the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced meals based on families’ income.
For the Shawnee Mission School District, about 4.2% of the budget for this academic year comes from various federal sources, totaling more than $15 million.
David Smith, a school district spokesperson, said the bulk of that money in Shawnee Mission pays for special education staff, as well as money for meal programs for low-income students.
“We have no idea what the potential impact would be, and we’re trying very hard not to speculate,” Smith said in an email response to questions this week.
Olathe Public Schools gets nearly 6% of its annual budget from the federal government, totaling roughly $30 million, according to budget documents. A large portion of that goes to Title I school programs, as well as special education and Head Start programming.
“We do not know if or how our school district will be impacted,” said Erin Schulte, assistant director of communications for Olathe schools.
Nonprofits and community groups could see funding affected
Though a lot of groups and nonprofit organizations get financial support from private donors, a fair amount of grant funding comes to the Johnson County area from the federal government to support such efforts.
For organizations like Lenexa-based health care nonprofit Heart to Heart International, which routinely sends crews and medical supplies around the globe in the wake of natural disasters.
The primary impact of a federal grant freeze wouldn’t necessarily affect Heart to Heart directly but could have downstream effects, said Emily Thurman, director of marketing and communications for the organization.
“Because our primary funding comes from individual and corporate donors, HHI’s ability to provide essential aid and support remains strong, even amidst federal funding uncertainty,” Thurman said. “However, we are part of a larger ecosystem, and this uncertainty affects many of our valued partners. We are actively engaging with them to understand their needs and explore how we can help.”
Community Development Block Grant money — annual federal allocations that go to various projects and aid efforts like rent and utility assistance or home repair programs — could also be in question.
Kyle Palmer, Leah Wankum, Juliana Garcia, Roxie Hammill and Lynne Hermansen contributed to this report.
