Committee hears federal grant pause for EMA funding; opts to continue services despite potential shortfall

County EMA staff told the Effingham County Tax and Finance Committee that a federal pause on certain grant reimbursements has put reimbursement for Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) and Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funds on hold.

Josh, a committee member, summarized recent meetings with EMA staff: because of a federal pause, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) has paused pass-through payments tied to the HMEP and EMPG grants. That pause affects the county’s expected reimbursements for work already completed and submitted for reimbursement. Committee members reviewed the numbers supplied by EMA staff: pending reimbursement for the HMEP period could leave a $15,000 shortfall if one submitted reimbursement arrives; if that reimbursement does not arrive the shortfall may be about $20,000 for HMEP. The EMPG reimbursement amount listed in committee materials was $17,981.97. Combined, the potential maximum loss cited in committee discussion was $37,981.97.

Jim, identified in committee materials as EMA staff, confirmed the pause is a federal action being implemented at the state passthrough level; he and Pam have submitted reimbursements for the October–December period and are awaiting payment. Josh and other committee members said they prefer to continue EMA services through the current storm season rather than reduce coverage immediately; doing so preserves local emergency capacity ahead of weather risk. Deb, a county staff member, said the county budget could absorb the potential shortfall if the reimbursements are not made, but that the matter should be revisited during the next budget cycle.

Committee members outlined options discussed: prorate hours for EMA staff (e.g., reduce to four hours per week), continue full staffing in the expectation the state/federal pause will be resolved, or plan to eliminate or reduce EMA-funded positions if federal funding is not restored after the current fiscal year. No formal motion to cut services was made; the committee’s direction was to continue services while monitoring the funding situation and prepare to revisit personnel decisions if reimbursements do not resume.

Ending Committee members asked staff to monitor the federal/state grant status and report back; no immediate personnel changes were authorized. The committee will reassess during the next budget review if federal reimbursements remain paused.