Brookhaven, awarded more than $40.5 million in grants since 2016, is poised to continue receiving and spending federal and state money without being impacted in a major way by the current administration’s cutbacks.
Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has slashed federal jobs, millions of dollars in federal funding, and has attempted to dismantle entire government agencies, but Brookhaven is not feeling the brunt of these cuts.
In a presentation to city council members on March 11, Brookhaven’s Director of Strategic Partnerships Patty Hansen said updates from federal agencies are moving quickly.
In her report, Hansen said executive orders given in January have impacted U.S. federal funding worldwide. Only two have the potential to affect Brookhaven: DEI and energy. At this time, the executive orders place approximately $19,000 in ongoing grant-funded projects at risk.
“The big things you’re hearing about are not our world, which is great news,” Hansen said.
Hansen said two grants were awarded this week – $3,000 from the CDC for senior programming in the parks, and $116,000 for the purchase of two electric vehicles.
The city has received $34.9 million in federal funding from the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, COVID relief funds, Office of Housing and Urban Development, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Brookhaven has also received $5.6 million in grants from the Georgia Department of Transportation.
The city uses federal and state funding to complete projects like the Peachtree Creek Greenway, the I-85 vehicular bridge, and the Ashford Dunwoody-Windsor traffic circle.
While some federal partner agencies, like the DOJ, send money directly to Brookhaven, others use local agencies to administer the funds. For example, funds from the Federal Highway Administration are applied to and delivered through GDOT or Atlanta Regional Commission.
The winning of grants is a testament to the city council leadership and staff, she said.
Of the $40 million, $18.7 million in projects have been successfully closed. The remaining projects are pending or ongoing.
“We continue to draw down funds on all programs and there have been no substantial delays at this time,” Hansen said.
“We are a local government, primarily tasked with improving the quality of life for our residents and sustaining those improvements,” Hansen continued. “Most of our grants address new or restored infrastructure needs, repairing or mitigating stormwater damage, and of course supporting our local police as they work to engage and protect our community.”
Mayor John Park said the city owes gratitude to the Atlanta Regional Commission, regional partners, and legislators representing Georgia in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
“Most importantly, our thanks go to our senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, and representative Hank Johnson in Washington, DC, who tirelessly advocate for our critical infrastructure projects,” Park said.
