HERNDON, Va. — Communities across the region are providing resources to federal workers embroiled in the government shutdown, and Fairfax County is considering a way to alleviate some of their financial burden.
Fairfax County leaders will discuss at Tuesday’s board meeting some possible help for homeowners who are hurting in the pocketbook because of the shutdown and facing property tax bills on Feb. 15.
“We’ve been seeing an uptick in people coming to the county asking for assistance … the question is ‘Can we get an extension? What can we do,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. “So we’re going to talk, at our board meeting, about how we can assist. Can we extend the deadline?”
D.C. area jurisdictions have rallied to the side of unpaid federal workers. Montgomery County, for one, offers temporary cash assistance to needy families with children. Loudoun County is offering food relief and also waiving fees for federal employees on transit and commuter bus routes.
Furloughed federal workers are also riding free on Fairfax Connector buses.
“They may be having to go to work, and they’re not earning a paycheck. We think we can do our part by letting people ride on our Connector for free,” Bulova said.
