A Bangor-based agency serving seniors and disabled people will cut Fridays from its work week in response to federal budget cuts that the organization’s leaders say left few other options.
The Bangor Daily News reported the Eastern Area Agency on Aging will shut its doors on Fridays after receiving word that federal budget cuts that went into effect this month will shave $60,000 to $70,000 from the organization’s budget in the next six months.
Noelle Merrill, executive director of the agency, told the paper that other area agencies on aging around the state are still working to identify cuts as senators in Washington are poised to pass a new budget deal that would avoid further implementation of the across-the-board cuts, known as the sequester. There are four other similar agencies around the state.
The expected impact of those federal cuts have ranged from furlough days for Department of Defense employees at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery to hiring freezes at Acadia National Park.
The New York Times reported the Senate is expected to pass a revised spending bill that offers departments more flexibility in making cuts as soon as today.