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Lakeway receives $1.4 million FEMA reimbursement; council weighs options for one‑time funds
Summary
City Manager Joseph told the council on Feb. 3 that the city has received a FEMA reimbursement check for $1,400,000 covering about 75% of documented storm response costs, and council discussed options for using that one‑time money.
City Manager Joseph presented on Feb. 3 that the city has received a FEMA reimbursement check for $1,400,000 tied to the recent storm response, and council discussed how to treat the one‑time funds ahead of the summer budget cycle.
What was announced: Joseph said the amount represents roughly 75% of eligible expenses the city documented to FEMA and TDEM for storm response and cleanup. He credited emergency management staff Wahida for months of documentation and said staff will continue to pursue an additional administrative reimbursement category estimated at roughly $93,000.
Options discussed: City staff offered four options for council to consider: 1) leave the money in the general fund; 2) allocate some or all for increased emergency response capacity (vehicles, equipment, software, mitigation); 3) create a dedicated emergency reserve fund to cover future disasters; or 4) seed the capital improvement program (CIP) to offset future capital needs. City Finance staff confirmed the reimbursement will appear as a revenue in the current year and recommended documenting it as one‑time money.
Council members asked for time to consider. Several members said they preferred earmarking or documenting the money so the public understands it is a one‑time reimbursement rather than recurring revenue; others suggested placing funds in a capital reserve or emergency fund to reduce future pressure on the property tax rate.
Next steps: Mayor and council asked staff to gather council member preferences by email and to return to council with a recommendation that reflects the group's views ahead of budget season. City staff also said they will continue to pursue the additional administrative reimbursement and will note the funds in the budget with an explanatory asterisk so residents understand the revenue is not recurring.
No formal vote was taken at the meeting.
