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Allegany County commissioners ratify flood-related procurements, hear closed‑session update on FEMA appeal
Summary
The Allegany County Board of Commissioners ratified a batch of post‑flood procurements and heard a closed‑session update on efforts to appeal FEMA’s denial and on the status of the Senator George Edwards Fund. Officials said county disaster spending has exhausted certain reserves and estimated total costs at $6–7 million.
Allegany County commissioners on Thursday ratified a set of procurements tied to flood recovery and received a closed‑session briefing on the county’s options after FEMA denied disaster relief.
The county approved “ratification number 8,” a batch of 13 projects the county staff said totals about $463,000; the presenter said cumulative flood‑related procurements and expenses have reached about $3.4 million. During a closed session disclosed at the meeting, attorneys from the firm Rifkin, Weiner & Livingston briefed commissioners on the likelihood of ongoing state support for the Senator George Edwards Fund and on legal options to challenge FEMA’s denial of the county’s relief application.
The ratification drew little debate and carried on a unanimous voice vote. Jason Bennett, the county administrator, said the county has exhausted lottery proceeds reserved for recovery and that, without state or federal aid, the county may need to borrow. “We’ve now spent our lottery proceeds that we haven’t had in reserves. They’re spent down completely as a result of the flood,” Bennett said.
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