What Would Federal Gov't Shutdown Mean For Local Governments?
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - By midnight tonight, the federal government may be out of business — at least temporarily. If that happens, what would it mean for local government?
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, who oversees a county with a lot of federal government jobs, like Selfridge Air National Guard Base and TACOM, says worrying about the possibility of a shutdown won't help solve anything.
"We've heard of many things that they've attempted to do," Hackel said. "You know ... sequestration, cuts to defense spending ... you know, what does that do, how does that impact us ... there isn't much we can do, but just sit back and wait and see what happens as a result of this," Hackel said.
Hackel says he believes the federal government will come up with a solution, although it may be by the end of the day, but if the government does shut down, it will not drastically affect Macomb County.
Meantime, word is federal courthouses in Michigan likely would keep the doors open for a while even if a budget impasse forces a shutdown.
In eastern Michigan, court spokesman Rod Hansen says it would be "pretty much business as usual" for approximately 10 days. The message is the same in western Michigan.
There are some major court hearings in early October, especially the sentencing of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on Oct. 10.
Detroit's bankruptcy case is ongoing, too. A trial to determine if the city is eligible to restructure its debts is set for Oct. 23.
There are federal courts in Bay City, Detroit, Flint, Port Huron, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo and Marquette.
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