Emergency manager seeks clarity on subscriptions, towers and proposes a restricted disaster recovery fund

Emergency Management presented a $169,632 draft budget for 2026 — roughly 97% of the 2025 request — and answered board questions on subscriptions, equipment and tower costs during the Sept. 12 meeting.

Emergency Manager Caitlin Finley broke down recurring costs that were not previously itemized: three variable message sign boards at about $950 per unit per year and two precipitation monitors with data plans of about $200 each per year. Finley said a $2,000 subscriptions line in previous budgets appears to understate these recurring charges.

Board members also sought detail on utilities and generator costs for county radio towers and remote communications sites. Finley confirmed that utilities lines help subsidize towers, generators, propane deliveries and internet costs associated with those facilities.

In a substantive proposal for future budgeting, Finley urged the county to consider creating a restricted local disaster recovery account. She said federal and state thresholds for declarations have risen, increasing the likelihood that local disasters will not meet the dollar threshold required to unlock large state or federal aid. “Last year for the state, it was $6,000,000. This year, it’s north of $28,000,000,” Finley said, describing a change discussed at a recent state emergency management summit. A local restricted account, she argued, could be started small and funded over time so the county demonstrates local capacity to respond when state or federal thresholds are not met.

Board members asked for follow-up information: comparisons to other counties’ reserves and a metric to size such an account. Finley offered to gather regional baseline numbers and provide a future presentation.

Ending: Emergency Management will refine subscription and tower cost descriptions in its budget notes and provide additional research on a restricted disaster recovery account for consideration in future budgets.