Howard County has a plan to help thousands of residents whose jobs in the federal workforce are currently in limbo as President Donald Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk look to downsize the federal government.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said the county is reallocating funds into its existing aid programs to accommodate federal workers who could soon be unemployed. The news follows a Tuesday night forum where hundreds of county residents, many of them federal workers, showed up to voice their anxieties about potential job loss.
“We are the ones who see firsthand the challenges our neighbors face. Therefore, it is our responsibility to respond with empathy, support and action,” said the county executive during a press conference Friday morning.
The Trump administration originally gave federal employees a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Thursday to accept an offer of “deferred resignation.” A federal judge has paused that deadline until arguments about the plan can be heard, with a new deadline of Monday. Questions remain about the legality of that program.
Still, concerns about mass lay-offs, firings or entire agencies being shuttered remain top of mind. The Trump administration has already laid off most staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and ordered its overseas missions to shut down.
Howard County is expanding eligibility for its foreclosure prevention assistance program alongside expansion of some of its food assistance programs. Federal workers who find themselves terminated are encouraged to review their eligibility for state and federal assistance programs, the executive said. Job fairs and events where residents can receive help with resume building and free headshots are on the way later this month.
“Many federal employees may feel their best option is to look for employment elsewhere,” said Ball. “For many workers who have held their positions for a long time, there may be concerns about re-entering the job market with a skills base that has changed rapidly.”
Some workers could go into the public sector for Howard County; the human resources office is “expediting” the application process for federal workers, according to a Howard County news release.
Impending job loss and return to office orders also have consequences for childcare. The county is trying to expand childcare programs through its Department of Recreation and Parks.
The plans outlined Friday were news for other elected officials in Howard County. District Three Councilmember Deb Jung said she thought Ball was doing his “best… with the resources we have here.” Foreclosure assistance and food assistance were two things she predicted as being top of need should people lose jobs.
“Giving people an opportunity to attend a career fair, I hope, even if they're not able to secure an immediate job, will make them realize that there are still opportunities to work here in this county and in this area,” said the councilmember.
There are about 150,000 federal civilian workers living in Maryland according to the Office of Personnel Management — that’s nearly six percent of the state’s workforce. Potential cuts to the federal workforce come at a time when the state is facing down its own $3 billion budget shortfall.
