LAKEWOOD, Colorado — There is a federal campus in Colorado that has over twenty government departments. Thousands of government workers are deciding if they will quit their jobs in the next two days.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are cutting down staff in government offices, and this is already affecting people in Colorado.
The Denver Federal Center in Lakewood is known as the largest grouping of federal offices outside of Washington D.C.
It consists of houses located on 623 acres near 6th Avenue and Kipling Street. Twenty-six government departments have offices there, and over 6,000 employees work in those offices. Now, there are a lot of questions and confusion on campus as Trump and Musk promise to cut government agencies and spending.
The mayor of Lakewood said her city hasn’t gotten any written notice or details about possible closures at the Federal Center. During the pandemic, staff worked from home, but the city reports that most workers have gone back to the office in a mix of home and office work over the past year. The mayor said that the federal center is very important for the local and regional business.
The Federal Center has over 6,000 workers and is very important to the neighborhood and regional economy. These committed public workers are doing important jobs that focus on the safety and well-being of the American people. Any major changes to the workforce or facilities in any field that helps the economy are very concerning. Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom stated that any wish for change should follow a careful plan. This plan should include feedback from local people and their leaders before making any decisions, just like it has in the past for important actions like closing military bases.
Employees in Lakewood got a number of emails in the past few days offering them the chance to quit. Employees who accept the resignation offer will not be affected by any upcoming job cuts in the government workforce, according to an email from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management sent to 9NEWS.
An email sent on Monday to USDA workers assures them that the agency values their work in the government. They have until Thursday to decide if they will quit.
Just a few miles away, over 3,000 workers at NREL are also affected. The government center run by contractors works on renewable energy and saving energy.
An email sent to 9NEWS indicates that NREL is stopping all news releases, social media posts, and press releases for now. This includes any new articles submitted to scientific magazines for publishing.
The effects of changes from the federal government continue in Colorado.
The University of Colorado has set up a website to answer questions from staff and students who are concerned about losing their grant money. 9NEWS talked to a Colorado State University student who said her job offer at the Department of Justice was taken back because of a hiring freeze.
There are many effects, big and small, that we are just starting to learn about.
If you’re a government employee or contractor in Colorado and want to share information with us, here are two ways to reach out.
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