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Port Richey finance director reports hurricane cleanup costs, FEMA reimbursements and proposed budget adjustments
Summary
Finance Director Adam Thompson told council the city has booked roughly $139,000 in general‑fund hurricane cleanup and about $730,000 in the utility fund so far; an expedited FEMA reimbursement request would yield roughly 50% upfront; council plans a budget amendment once reimbursements are clearer.
Adam Thompson, the city’s finance director, presented a quarterly financial update at the Port Richey City Council meeting on Feb. 11 and outlined the fiscal effects of recent storms and cleanup work.
“Out of the general fund, we’ve expended so far about a hundred and $39,000 in hurricane cleanup,” Thompson said. “And in the utility fund … we’ve expended about $730,000 in this fiscal year for hurricane cleanup.” He said the city had submitted documentation to FEMA and asked for expedited reimbursement, which — under FEMA’s expedited review — typically yields 50% of eligible expedited costs up front.
Thompson told council the city had requested approximately $1 million in expedited reimbursement; he said the immediate expectation was roughly $560,000 (about half) while final review could provide the remainder if approved. He also said the utility department still had about $240,000 in open purchase orders for lift‑station work and related repairs.
To cover short‑term cash needs the council previously moved $500,000 from investment accounts to pay storm expenses; Thompson said those funds could be returned to investments once FEMA reimbursements arrive. He told the council staff plans to present a budget amendment in the second fiscal quarter to record reimbursements and avoid penalizing routine operations for extraordinary storm costs.
Council members asked whether any hurricane costs should be accrued into the previous fiscal year; Thompson and staff said many cleanup activities occurred early in the new fiscal year and auditors were comfortable with the purchase‑order approach the city used to reserve funds.
The council accepted the quarterly report and heard that staff will continue to track FEMA submissions and return with a proposed budget amendment once reimbursements are clearer.
