Joe Knight jokingly pretended to have a nervous twitch when federal funds were mentioned during the Jefferson County Commission’s committee meeting Tuesday.

But, the chairman of the commission’s finance committee was only too serious as he queried about federal matching funds to address traffic signal upgrades in the carbon reduction program.

“Federal funding is an issue going forward because of what the new administration is now doing,” Knight said. “They’ve halted some programs. They’re stopping some. They’ve put a pause on others.”

Knight posed a similar question during the commission committee meeting two weeks ago.

“My question was: (Has) that money already been allocated?” the finance committee chair asked. “Yeah, we’ll jump on this for $200,000 – which is our match, an 80-20 match.”

The program calls for traffic lights to be synchronized to maintain steady traffic flow and limit the time cars are idling and emitting exhaust fumes.

“It’s a good thing to synchronize these lights and fix these lights,” Knight said, “but we’re 20% of the cost. If we start down this path and that federal money doesn’t come, then what? That’s my question.”

Roads and Transportation Director Chris Nicholson assured Knight that the $800,000 is “committed, obligated funding.”

“Do we have it?” Knight asked. “Is it questionable if we’ll get it or not?”

Said Nicholson: “MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) has it. Yes, sir, we will have it.”