Howard County expands resources for federal employees amid government workforce cuts
BALTIMORE — Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced a series of county resource expansions for federal employees Friday as President Trump continues to push for reductions in the federal workforce.
Ball promised those resources were coming during a public forum on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Just yesterday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) proposal for federal employees to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration.
Approximately 50,000 buyout-eligible federal workers live in Howard County, according to Ball.
Expanded resources
The expanded resources are comprehensive, ranging from job search assistance to childcare. Ball said more than 400 federal workers attended Tuesday's public forum at Howard Community College, each sharing stories of uncertainty.
"Some mentioned not knowing how they could pay for impending surgeries, while others expressed fear about losing their homes if they can't pay for their mortgages," The county executive said Friday.
Many of the resources stem from Howard County's Office of Workforce Development (OWD). Ball said OWD is already offering additional hours for federal workers looking for career counseling, resumé help, as well as tutorials to help leverage workers' LinkedIn and other social media profiles for job searching.
OWD will also be hosting an open house on Feb. 12 at 5 p.m., and a career fair at Howard Community College on Feb. 25 at 6 p.m.
Federal workers who apply to job openings in the Howard County government will have their applications expedited, according to Ball.
Before- and after-care programs are being reviewed to make them more accessible for families of federal workers, Ball said. There are currently 23 sites in Howard County elementary schools. The Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services' Office of Children and Families' CARE line is available for anyone who has questions about childcare services. Call 410-313-CARE for more information.
The Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC) manages the county's food bank. Families of federal workers who are in need of food assistance will be able to get pre-bagged shelf staples from the food bank for up to three months.
"At a time when there's so much uncertainty and real concern over how this will impact daily living, and their ability to put food on the table, this is exactly why we're here in this community," said CAC Public Affairs and Marketing Coordinator Joanna Lake.
County Executive Ball said the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development is expanding eligibility for households to receive foreclosure prevention assistance.
All federal workers in Howard County are encouraged to email hocohelp@howardcountymd.gov if they have any questions.
What is the federal buyout offer?
In an email from the Office of Personnel Management in late January, more than two million federal employees were told they had until 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 6 to participate in a "deferred resignation program," which allowed them to retain their pay and benefits until Sep. 30, 2025.
Employees were told that they would go on administrative leave immediately while continuing to receive their pay and benefits if they resigned under the proposal. In the memo, the OPM said it could not provide "full assurance" of employment to those who chose not to take the buyout.
As of Feb. 5, about 40,000 federal workers had accepted the deferred resignation deal, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Four unions that represent more than 800,000 federal workers have sued the OPM, saying the deferred resignation program violates federal law. The unions also pointed out that funding for federal agencies expires in mid-March, with no appropriation in place from Congress to cover federal workers' salaries after that, including the buyout.
The pause issued by U.S. District Judge George O'Toole on Thursday extends the deadline for workers to decide until at least Monday night, pending another hearing on the matter.
"The program is not being blocked or canceled," the OPM said. "The government will honor the deferred resignation offer."
During an Instagram Live with U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, Everett Kelly, the President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) said they are hopeful the legal challenges against "deferred resignation" stand.
AFGE is the largest labor union of federal workers.
"We need to fight like we've never fought before," Kelly said. "We will not stop. We will not give up. We will be there to fight for federal employees until there is nothing left in our body."
Federal employee hiring freeze
Before the pause, Mr. Trump ordered a hiring freeze for federal employees.
In a memo issued on Jan. 20, Mr. Trump said "I hereby order a freeze on the hiring of Federal civilian employees, to be applied throughout the executive branch. As part of this freeze, no Federal civilian position that is vacant at noon on January 20, 2025, may be filled, and no new position may be created except as otherwise provided for in this memorandum or other applicable law."
Military, immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety personnel were excluded from the freeze, according to the memo.
In the memo, Mr. Trump also instructed the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Administrator of the United States DOGE Service (USDS) to submit a plan to reduce the federal workforce within 90 days.
Marylanders concerned over federal workforce changes
Before the pause of the Trump administration's measure, Maryland joined 11 other states in warning federal employees not to accept the proposed buyout, saying that it would put federal employees in an "ambiguous position," and reduce the government's ability to provide support to Americans.
Earlier this week, some federal workers told WJZ they were concerned about the efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
In a speech to state lawmakers Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the state should become less reliant on federal jobs, amid the downsizing efforts.
During a public forum at Howard Community College Wednesday, Ball said the impact of the buyouts would be felt beyond Howard County.
"It'll impact our tax base, or if going to work five days a week, we're gonna have to figure out childcare, we're going to have to talk about congestion on the roads," Ball said.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has also addressed the buyout proposal. In a speech to state lawmakers, he said Maryland needs to become less reliant on federal jobs and build other economic strengths.
