Lower Moreland Waits to See how Sequestration Might Affect Township

According to a press release issued by the White House, hundreds of thousands of middle class jobs and services for children, seniors, people with mental illness and our men and women in uniform could suffer from a series of automatic cuts called the sequester.

Unless Congress acts by Thursday at midnight, the series of automatic cuts will occur and could affect Lower Moreland at the local and school levels.

“Right now with this being a political issue on the national level, I don’t think it is appropriate for us to have a response,” Township assistant manager Christopher Hoffman said. “If this gets to a point where a specific cut has a tangible impact on the municipal level we could then provide a comment.”

Other townships have prepared for the possibility. Upper Moreland School has instituted an 8-percent cut into this year’s budget.

If the cuts do happen, Pennsylvania is expected to have 78,454 jobs cut.

Montgomery County will be among the areas of the state to see change, should sequestration come to fruition. 

Director of communications for Montgomery County Frank Custer said that "there will be several" effects of the cuts in our area.

"County residents will feel effects on a wide range of issues," Custer told Patch. "A lot is tied to schools, teachers, education, and the county government does not have a lot to do with those programs.

"The county government itself will feel it in places like the public heath area," he said. "In Pennsylvania, we estimate we will lose $1.2 million in funds in public health areas."