SNOW HILL – As the government shutdown continues, county officials agreed to provide some meal funding to local Coast Guard personnel.
At the close of Tuesday’s meeting, the Worcester County Commissioners agreed to donate $740 to help fund meals for local Coast Guard personnel. The request came at the suggestion of Commissioner Bud Church, who said he’d been contacted by a local resident who apprised him of the situation.
“I thought it would be a good gesture,” Church said.
He told his peers there were 37 U.S. Coast Guard members at the station in Ocean City and that they weren’t being paid or fed during the government shutdown, which has now lasted more than a month.
“A friend of mine who served in the United States Coast Guard, Mr. Bob Jester, called me several days ago,” Church said. “He’s been contacting restaurants, civic groups, different organizations, to raise awareness of the fact that these Coast Guardsmen are not being paid and not being fed.”
Church said a variety of local restaurants had provided the Coast Guard personnel with meals while several civic organizations had made donations to help pay for food. He suggested the county provide $20 toward each of the 37 personnel at the Ocean City station.
His fellow commissioners agreed and instructed staff to make the donation. When Chief Administrative Officer Harold Higgins pointed out it was an overexpenditure, the commissioners advised him to find funding within the current budget to cover the donation.
