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Emergency manager urges county to build reserves as disaster thresholds tighten
Summary
Dickinson County emergency management raised concerns about proposed federal/state changes to disaster-assistance thresholds tied to per-capita calculations and urged the commission to set or increase county reserves or emergency spending policies to avoid paying large unrecoverable costs after local disasters.
James Smith, director of emergency management, told the Dickinson County Board of Commissioners that proposed changes to state or federal disaster-assistance thresholds could make it harder for smaller counties to qualify for external funds after disasters.
Smith said current formulas use a per-person threshold. "Right now, in Dickinson County, the threshold we have to make is $3.75 per person. And at 18,000 people... it's right around $7,580,000 we have to make before we're qualified," he said, adding that proposals under discussion could raise that per-person threshold by about $7, which would significantly increase the county's required damage total to qualify for assistance. Smith warned that smaller counties risk shouldering large costs for disasters that would have qualified for aid under current formulas.
Smith urged the commission to consider setting aside a dedicated emergency reserve or formalizing a policy on minimum cash reserves for disasters so the county can quickly respond to debris removal, road and bridge repairs and search-and-rescue costs. "My suggestion is... put us as an emergency savings thing for roads or bridges," he said, noting past events in which the county incurred expenses while waiting to see if state or federal aid materialized.
Commissioners and county staff discussed the trade-offs between creating a separate fund that might remain unused for years and maintaining a general cash reserve or carryover in the general fund. County staff reported the county has been budgeting about $1.2 million annually as a general fund carryover and suggested the board consider setting a policy target for a minimum reserve, potentially a fixed dollar amount, to ensure predictable readiness for disasters.
No formal action was taken; commissioners asked staff to return with policy options, reserve-level scenarios and comparisons to peer counties to guide a future decision.
