The Astoria City Council has unanimously voted to offer a water and sewer bill waiver to furloughed federal workers.
Furloughed workers will now have the chance to defer water and sewer bill payments until after the government shutdown has ended and they receive backpay. They will then have to cover their outstanding bill balance.
Coast Guard members make up most of the population of federal workers in the port town, said Mayor Bruce Jones.
“We’re a town of just under 10,000 people and we have over 500 active duty members of the U.S. Coast Guard in Astoria and the greater Astoria area,” Jones said.
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“They’re a huge part of our local community and a huge part of our local economy. Along with Columbia Memorial Hospital, the Coast Guard is the largest employer in Clatsop County.”
Along with the city council’s decision on the bill waiver, the community has also rallied to support federal workers by hosting food drives and fundraisers.
The Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the city’s parks department, has also offered free use of recreation facilities; and Pacific Power and Northwest Natural Gas have also allowed federal workers to defer payments, Jones said.
Many of the Coast Guard members in the community are junior members who live paycheck to paycheck, Jones said.
“The city thought it was most appropriate to make sure we aren’t punishing people for not getting a paycheck when they go to work every day,” he said.
Jones said he hopes that Astoria’s community of federal employees feels supported, but that ultimately it’s the U.S. government that needs to step up.
“We support all of our federal workers and their families and we’ll do anything we can to help them until this impasse is resolved,” Jones said. “First responders and military personnel who put their lives on the line for us every day should not have to depend on the kindness of strangers to avoid eviction or repossession of their vehicles. ”
