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Blue Ridge council creates Emergency and Disaster Response fund, caps it at $1 million
Summary
City council voted to convert a roughly $510,000 contingency account into an Emergency and Disaster Response fund, add $50,000 annually until it reaches $1 million, and limit spending to catastrophic emergencies as defined in the adopted resolution.
City Clerk Joe proposed converting the city’s contingency account into a dedicated Emergency and Disaster Response fund and the council approved the measure after extended debate over triggers and restrictions.
Joe, who described what he saw after travelling to Asheville following recent storms, said the goal was “to turn that fund into an emergency fund to be used strictly for catastrophic emergencies” and to add $50,000 per year until a $1 million cap is reached. Council members seconded the motion and it passed on a recorded vote.
Supporters said the fund would let local officials respond immediately to catastrophes — for example, by buying tents, water and emergency supplies — without waiting for federal aid. During discussion, one council member noted the city’s existing contingency/capital account holds about $510,000 and that the city’s total annual budget is roughly $6 million, putting the proposed additions in fiscal context.
City attorney Mandy clarified how the proposed resolution would operate: as drafted, the resolution ties the fund’s emergency spending authority to a governor’s declaration of a state of emergency for the county, although the council retains the ability to change the resolution at a subsequent meeting. Mandy said the resolution’s language and purchasing‑policy interaction could be revised later to ensure the council and mayor can act when needed.
Opponents cautioned that narrowly restricting the fund to only certain types of declared natural disasters could limit the city’s flexibility for other urgent needs such as major water‑main breaks or road failures. Several members said they wanted a clear procedure for who determines an emergency and how the city’s purchasing rules would apply during an incident.
The council voted to adopt the resolution converting the contingency account to the Emergency and Disaster Response fund, authorizing the annual $50,000 contribution until the $1 million cap, and preserving the council’s authority to alter the designation at a future meeting.
