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Supervisors weigh reserve use after federal EMPG funds fail to materialize
Summary
Bremer County officials were told Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funds for 2025 have not been released; staff proposed removing $20,000 from revenue assumptions and either using reserves or shifting costs to local 9‑1‑1/tower funds while pursuing a FY'27 EMPG application.
County emergency‑management staff told the board the federal EMPG (Emergency Management Performance Grant) for 2025 has not been released and that the department removed the $20,000 assumption from revenue forecasts.
"EMPG 2025 still has not been released... at this point, it doesn't look like we're gonna see that at all," said the emergency‑management representative, who described outreach to other counties that are also pulling EMPG from their budgets. Staff said many counties are treating any awarded EMPG funds as a year‑end bonus rather than a predictable revenue stream.
Supervisors discussed whether tower annuities or the 9‑1‑1 fund could cover some recurring costs and asked staff to verify which line items could be legally supported by 9‑1‑1 revenues. One supervisor proposed using reserve balances to absorb a one‑year shortfall while the county pursues FEMA/state clarifications and future grant applications.
Staff noted additional uncertainty: the county had hoped for $20,000 that may not arrive and has asked the state homeland‑security director for updates. The board asked staff to monitor the state’s position, report on any FEMA litigation or distribution delays, and revisit the revenue assumptions at upcoming quarterly budget meetings.
What’s next: County staff will track statewide EMPG developments, inform the board at the next quarterly update, and recommend whether to use reserves, 9‑1‑1 funds, or other offsets for FY'27 planning.
