April 2025 Gazette – Spending Cuts, Tariffs & The Islands
The massive layoffs and spending cuts in federal funding, plus the new tariffs that President Trump has imposed have us wondering about what effect they will have on things here on the islands.
The most federal dollars have undoubtedly been going to operate Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial. During the past couple of months, the Trump administration has fired more than a thousand park employees. These jobs include park rangers, educators and custodians. Chances of the park opening fully this season have to be of concern. One observer commented that the Monument might open on a limited schedule if there’s not enough staff.
Another big employer is Ohio Sea Grant that operates Stone Lab on Gibraltar Island. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is a major source of funding for Stone Lab, and it was NOAA that was one of the first government agencies targeted for cuts.
NOAA also has a weather station at the South Bass Island Lighthouse, (Station SBIO1 – South Bass Island, OH), that is owned and maintained by the National Data Buoy Center. The island station is part of the Coastal-Marine Automated Network, a meteorological observation network along the coastal United States, maintained by the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) of the National Weather Service (NWS), that collects data on atmospheric conditions, including wind, pressure and temperature, for weather forecasting and other uses.
The Village Police Department has been working on obtaining a federal grant for security cameras. With funding cuts, who knows how that will all work out.
When it comes to tariffs, any of the bars and restaurants and the two biergartens on the island will certainly see price increases for meats, fruits and vegetables along with imported hard liquors, wines and beers if there is a 200% tariff on some of them. For those who enjoy a Stiegl beer from Austria at the Goat Biergarten or a Corona or Modelo beer at your favorite island bar, hang on to your wallets.
The island gift shops fill their shelves with imported trinkets. That’s a tough business to be in even without such increases.
A significant portion of US lumber imports come from Canada, so expect prices for new construction and home and cottage repairs to go up.
Mexico and Canada account for 48% of all car parts imported into the U.S. It looks like it’s going to be more expensive to get cars fixed whether on the island or off. The good thing is that golf carts on the island are mostly American made, so no tariff effects for them.
These are just a few of the things that quickly came to mind when it comes to federal spending cuts and tariffs on the islands. As things kick in, island residents, cottagers and business owners will probably find more.