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Board debate centers on who will pay if Corps study leads to costly fixes
Summary
Board members warned that if the Corps' study identifies major construction, up to roughly $1.5 million of local matching costs could fall to a small tax base (cited in the meeting as about 86 properties); supporters said the $25,000 administrative payment can be reversed within 30 days and that federal match remains possible.
Board members repeatedly raised concern that a future construction phase could place a large financial burden on a small number of local property owners in the drainage district. A committee member said the tax base has dwindled and that asking roughly 86 people to shoulder hundreds of thousands of dollars is difficult to justify.
Presenter replied that the Corps study only begins the process and that the $25,000 administrative payment is to obtain a firm itemized estimate: "$25,000 is the paying for the immediate administrative costs that they're gonna do." He also noted an approximate $300,000 of prior in‑kind work that may be credited against any local share and said possible federal cost shares could reduce local exposure.
