What a Government Shutdown May Mean in Lakewood

If last-ditch budget talks fail in our nation’s capital, the results could be felt in Lakewood.

According to AOL News, some immediate effects, such as the closing of national parks and museums, would be easily seen, while other services may only see delays.

In Lakewood, a government shutdown could affect taxes, loans and passports.

Federal officials are prepared to shut down government services — in an emergency effort — for the first time in 15 years if a compromise cannot be reached by midnight.

Count on the to continue to deliver your mail — the US Postal Service operates as a self-sufficient organization.

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park would close during a government shutdown, along with 393 other national parks.

May Lou Call, a loan officer for First Federal of Lakewood bank, said that federal loans would also stop during a federal government shutdown. That means people looking to buy a house may wait a while.

“If the government does shut down because they can’t reach an agreement, (the suspension of) Federal Housing Administration loans is going to affect a lot of buyers — temporarily or permanently.”

Going on a trip, but waiting for your passport to arrive?

You may have to wait a little longer, said Vladan Blagojevic, the owner of . That could be a problem if someone needs a passport right away.

“We don’t know if — for an emergency situation — there will be some department of a government office that will be open,” he said. “For example, if somebody has a death in the family and someone’s passport is expired, we don’t have any instruction about how we’ll operate and what we will do in that case.”

What does this mean for taxes?

Mike Tarr, with , said he doesn’t see a possible shutdown as too much of a threat to the tax process. Taxes, by the way, are still due April 15.

“There won’t be a problem,” he said, adding that the only slowdown will be for those who file taxes the old-fashioned way. “Once they get back to work, they’ll going to start processing as-is. There technically will be a delay, but the electronic (filings) will flow as normal.”