Fort Myers Beach finance director to leave April 30; committee reviews emergency funds, FEMA reimbursements

Joanne, the town finance director, told Fort Myers Beach’s finance committee that she will leave her post effective April 30 and that the position will be vacant after May 1 unless filled earlier. "I'll be leaving the town on April 30," she said, and added that the town was interviewing multiple candidates and would name an interim if a permanent hire is not in place.

The committee spent the bulk of its meeting on the director’s financial report, which outlined large emergency expenditures related to recent storms and the town’s cash-flow position while it awaits federal and state reimbursements. The report said the town expects a lost revenue replacement grant of about $7,500,000 and noted a bridge-loan funding mechanism tied to an attached Resolution 2594 that would permit up to $8,000,000 in temporary transfers from the bridge loan fund to the emergency fund.

Why it matters: The town is carrying substantial emergency outlays while FEMA, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and insurers process claims. Committee members said the accounting detail and timing of reimbursements will affect fund balances and cash available for near-term operations and the coming hurricane season.

In the report, Joanne described the bridge-loan/resolution…