Cuts to grant program could affect hundreds of jobs in Yuma County

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY)-  Yuma County receives millions in federal grant funding. Money that helps support jobs and local programs, but with uncertainty at the federal level, County leaders are preparing for the possibility of cuts.

County Administrator Ian McGaughey says Yuma County receives $190 million dollars in federal grant funding, covering operations through 2030.

Nearly 100 county positions are tied to that money meaning cuts could have a major impact.

Tony Reyes, District 4 Board member says, "It does have an impact on yuma county and the impact will be to the people we serve. It's just going to mean the loss of many jobs and many programs that support the community in general."

While funding remains steady for now, county leaders are still monitoring the situation closely.

"We will not really know what the impact will be until we actually feel the impact which isn’t until they actually cut the funding off," Reyes shared.

As the county prepares the budget for fiscal year 2025 to 2026, McGaughey says they're taking a careful approach: "We're taking a very conservative. We need to be careful and be smart so that if there are federal impacts were ready for those."

County officials say they don't have a timeline when or if federal changes will happen, but they're staying proactive in the meantime.