Feds stop $9.7M in local funding for a variety of Austin initiatives

Several high-profile Austin initiatives – including creek restoration, violence prevention, early childhood education and trail expansion – are now in limbo after Congressional Community Funding requests for Fiscal Year 2025 were shelved due to ongoing disarray in Washington. The city confirmed Friday that roughly $9.7 million in proposed funding for local projects will not proceed this year. The requests, submitted by U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Greg Casar, included support for Waterloo Greenway Creek Restoration and Water Quality Improvements, Austin Community Violence Intervention, the Dove Springs Early Childhood Education Center and the Oak Brook extension of the Northern Walnut Creek Trail. The halt in funding follows the passage of a continuing resolution that keeps the federal government funded at Fiscal Year 2024 levels, but excludes all pending CCF appropriations. The resolution, signed by President Donald Trump on March 15, effectively stalls all direct congressional project funding for the year. CCF requests – previously known as earmarks – allow members of Congress to direct federal dollars to specific projects within their districts. Since their return in Fiscal Year 2022, Austin has received approximately $23.6 million through the process.