Sierra County Commissioner Travis Day: Questions he’s not answering about his resignation and new Trump administration appointment

Travis Day announced via the Sentinel newspaper Oct. 23 edition that he is resigning Nov. 14 as county commission–with a year and one month to go on his tenure, at the end of which he would have termed out after eight years in that position–in order to take a job as state director of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program. 

The USDA RD administers over 70 programs. Here is Google’s AI Overview synopsis of those programs: 

Infrastructure and utilities

• • Water and wastewater: Assists communities in developing and improving drinking water and waste disposal systems.
  • Broadband and telecommunications: Supports the expansion of high-speed internet access.
  • Energy: Funds projects for renewable energy, energy efficiency improvements, and the modernization of rural power systems. 

Housing and community facilities 

• • Housing: Provides loans, grants, and guarantees for single- and multi-family housing, as well as for farm laborer housing.
  • Community facilities: Finances essential facilities like hospitals, schools, libraries, daycare centers, and fire and police stations. 

Business and economic development

• • Business development: Supports rural businesses and cooperatives through financing and technical assistance to create jobs.
  • Renewable energy: Provides funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to develop renewable energy systems.
  • Disaster assistance: Offers support to homeowners, businesses, and communities in President-declared disaster areas to aid in recovery and rebuilding. 

The Continuing Resolution congress passed in March 2025 funded USDA through Sept. 30 at the FY2024 reduced level, $22.3 billion in discretionary funding, which was $383 million below FY2023. Rural Development programs were greatly affected, according to the National Association of Counties. Here is their synopsis of Rural Development program cuts, as well as their plea for the public to urge legislators to return USDA funding to FY2023 levels: 

Under the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS): 

• • Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Programs: $1.51 billion in funding for the Water and Waste Disposal Program – a $560 million, or 27.1 percent, reduction from FY 2023 levels. This program awards loans and grants to rural communities to address the backlog of clean water and waste disposal projects.
  • Rural Broadband: $90 million for the Rural e-Connectivity (ReConnect) Program, $258 million below FY2023 levels. $40 million in funding for the Distance Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband Program, $20 million below FY 2023 funding levels. These programs help extend internet access to underserved rural communities. Rural broadband programs received cuts due to the implementation of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access in underserved areas.

Under the USDA Rural Housing Service (RHS): 

• • Rural Community Facilities Program: $2.8 billion in direct and guaranteed loans for the Rural Community Facilities Program, equal to FY 2023 funding levels. This program helps fund rural hospitals, schools, and health clinics.
  • Rural Housing Loan and Rental Assistance Programs: $28.1 billion for Rural Housing Rental Assistance Programs, $5.26 billion below FY 2023 funding levels. These programs help provide affordable housing to low-income and elderly households in rural communities.

Under the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS): 

• • Rural Business Development Program: $66.62 million for the Rural Business Development Grant Program, $19.9 million below FY 2023 funding levels; and $24.3 million for Rural Cooperative Development Grants. These programs support rural entrepreneurs and help rural communities create and expand new market opportunities through strategic investments.

KEY TALKING POINTS: 

• • USDA Rural Development operates a broad range of programs tailored to address the specific needs of rural counties and communities. These programs provide grant funding and loan financing for water/wastewater infrastructure, community facilities, broadband, and telecommunications, housing, renewable energy and business development.  
  • Urge your member of Congress to invest in rural America to return FY 2026 appropriations for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA-RD) programs to FY 2023 funding levels.

If the Trump administration’s May 2025 proposal for FY2026 funding is approved by congress, USDA’s discretionary funding will be reduced further–by $7 billion. Cuts to Rural Development programs, according to Congress.gov, Trump’s “skinny budget” includes a $104 million cut to Rural Business Cooperative  Services; a $799 million cut to Natural Resources Conservation Services (Travis Day was the local director of Natural Resources within the Sierra Soil & Water Conservation District from 2016 to 2021); and a $642 million cut to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

On the other hand, Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, which became law July 4, doubled USDA’s investments in trade program, that is, increasing foreign trade. Travis Day has been the New Mexico Chile Association’s executive director since December 2021, and has worked to expand trade and brand New Mexico chile internationally as the best chile in the world. 

The Big Beautiful Bill also made 30 million more farm acres eligible for government farm programs–Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). 

No wonder Day said, according to the Sentinel Oct. 23 article, “Having the opportunity to work under this administration and help communities across New Mexico that fac similar challenges like Sierra County was one that I could not pass up.” 

I asked Day some questions Oct. 28 after reading the article, but alas, he did not deign to answer them. They were:

The article said the Trump administration appointed you to be state director of USDA Rural Development. Can you explain what your duties will be? Specifically, will you be weighing in on grant applications and whether they are awarded or not? 

Were you appointed during the ongoing shutdown? If so, can you explain who at the federal government appointed you and what evaluation or selection process was used?

And are you resigning Nov. 14 because you’ve been told that the shutdown will end then? Or that your position will be funded while other federal employee positions are not, due to the shutdown? 

Were you aware that T or C’s USDA grant/loan Water Systems Performance Improvements projects are stalled because of the shutdown? WSPI 1 is a $7.531 million project and WSPI 2 is a $9.9 million project. When you take your position will you have the authority to get funding approved so these projects can be started? 

Day may well have had insider knowledge about when the federal shutdown will end, or he is prescient. Late Sunday the senate approved a deal to reopen the government without extending Obama-care, details to be debated and voted on this week. Then the house must approve the deal, which is also expected to happen this week.