Local federal offices open – for now
Staff writer
During a government shutdown, agencies that have funds appropriated in prior years that are carried forward can continue to serve customers until that money is used up.
USDA Service Center in Marion includes two such agencies, Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources and Conservation Service. Both were open Thursday, the fifth day of the latest government shutdown.
According to a bulletin put out Dec. 26 by the Farm Service Agency, FSA county offices would remain open through Friday.
FSA county executive director Sara Morey at the USDA Service Center in Marion said employees do not want the office to close.
“Some people think we might want more days off, but the federal workers in this office would rather be working,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
Supervisory district conservationist Matt Meyerhoff said the Natural Resources and Conservation Service has carry-over funds that will allow his office to remain open indefinitely.
The U.S. Postal Service is not affected because it is independently funded through sales of products and services.
The Army Corps of Engineers was also unaffected, because their appropriations were already approved, Corps of Engineers public affairs specialist Stacey Reese said.