Perry County reports 64 buyouts completed so far; NRCS round aims to reach 76 properties

Perry County staff gave an update on local buyout programs on Feb. 2, reporting that 64 properties have been acquired so far under combined FEMA and NRCS efforts and that county leaders expect more purchases this year.

County staff member Ben Wilder said FEMA buyouts are nearly complete: "We have 1 unassigned property. We purchased 35. We will eventually hopefully purchase 36 with that additional property of 64 that originally signed up," Wilder said. Wilder told the Fiscal Court the FEMA portion has spent about $7,000,000 on property acquisitions and that only three acquired properties remain to be demolished.

Wilder said the NRCS (USDA) program — which began later — has purchased 29 properties and has 47 remaining to reach 76 of 91 properties that originally signed up in that program. "We've purchased 29. We've got 47 more to purchase, which would get us to 76 of 91," Wilder said. Some drop‑offs were due to duplicate signups across FEMA and NRCS or homeowners changing their minds.

Combined spending on acquisitions stands at just under $11,000,000, Wilder said, and he estimated the total eventual acquisition cost could approach $20,000,000 depending on property prices. He told the court the county is processing appraisals and expects momentum to continue, estimating completion of the current purchase wave by late summer or September if the pace (roughly 10 homes every 1.5–2 months) is maintained. Wilder also noted remaining administrative work such as appraisals and demolition coordination.

No new program changes or approvals were requested during the report; Wilder framed the update as status reporting and thanked staff and partners for coordinating purchases and tracking reimbursements. He said the county has about 20 months remaining to complete certain appraisal steps tied to program timelines.