Federal Shutdown Could Affect Some Local Governmental Agencies

As a bitter budget battle pushes the federal government closer towards a shutdown, some local government entities await word on their future.

According to Congressman Tim Bishop, if a government shutdown occurs, the “government stops all ‘nonessential' services while essential services, such as armed forces, border protection, air traffic controllers, and police and fire departments will continue to operation.”

That means the Shinnecock Coast Guard Station in Hampton Bays, as well as the The 106^th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard, based in Westhampton, will continue to operate normally.

William Scofeld, Boatswain, first class of the Shinnecock Station confirmed that the Coast Guard, which receives military pay, will continue as usual regardless of what transpires over the next two days.

“We are going to operate at the same standard regardless of what happens,” Scofeld said of the station, which provides search and rescue efforts and well as law enforcement and Homeland Security.

That also goes for other area Coast Guard stations, including on in Montauk, said Scofeld.

Members of the 106^th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard, which is located in Westhampton, are also holding their breath, waiting to see what happens, but are unlikly to be affected.

A woman, who answered the phone at the station, but wished not to be named, said, “There is a lot of buzz going on regarding pay.”

Messages were left for the major at the station; however, calls were not returned as of press time.

However, the Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Noyac says it will be closed to the public starting Sunday morning, if Congress and President Barack Obama do not reach an agreement by midnight on Friday. Officials at the 187-acre refuge say only essential personnel for the protection of property and human life would remain working at the site.

New York IRS spokeswoman Diane Besunder, said that taxpayers should also note that if there were a shutdown, taypayer paper returns would not be processed.  However, she said, electronically filed returns with an adjusted gross income of under $58,000 will be processed.

“Since 1980, all agencies have had to maintain a plan in case of a government shutdown and we are prepared for any contingency as a matter of course,” she said.

It is unclear, however, if IRS offices in Hauppauge and Riverhead would be closed if the shutdown occurs.

What may be hit hard, if the government shuts down for an extended period of time, is one of the region’s largest governmental employers — Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton.

Pete Genzer, a spokesman for Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, said if funding is pulled from the Department of Energy, the lab could stay afloat for “longer than a month.”

Any longer, however, he said, would start to affect the staff of roughly 3,000 scientists, engineers, technicians and support staff.

Also contributing to this article were Joseph Pinciaro, editor of Riverhead Patch, Brendan J. O’Reilly, editor of Southampton Patch; and Sara Walsh, editor of Hauppauge Patch.