Mentor Could Lose Significant Federal Funding After Sequestration

Like all cities, Mentor faces uncertain cuts after the U.S. Senate did not agree on legislation that would stop $85 billion in budget cuts before it adjourned for the weekend Thursday night.

Mentor Finance Director David Malinowski awaits the fallout from the lack of action in Washington, but acknowledges that the city has received several federal grants in recent years that are now in question. At about $200,000, he believes that the Community Development Block Grant is the largest recurring federal funding source for Mentor.

The dozen or so sub-recipients of the Block Grant include housing rehabilitation, Project Hope, Forbes House, New Directions, senior programs and more. About $135,000 of the grant was allocated for housing rehabilitation in this year's budget.

"What impact (sequestration) might have on that or any other ones, we just don't know how to answer that question yet," Malinowski said. "I don't know which specific federal programs would be affected and the timing of those."

Mentor also received about $1 million over the past two years to help purchase radio upgrades for safety and security forces.

More: How Lake County's 113 Federal Employees Could Feel the Impact

Malinowski stressed that the city does not depend on federal funding and didn't seem concerned that the general fund would take too much of a blow following the sequester.

"We obviously benefit from federal assistance," he said, "but we don't rely on it to provide the basic, core services that the city provides.

"We'd rather receive assistance if we qualify, rather than have it cut, but as far as the impact to essential services, most of that is paid out of non-federally assisted funds."