HB165

I am writing in support of HB 165-FN. As a resident of Acworth, which suffered extensive flooding in both 2021 and 2023, and as a member of the Acworth Budget Committee, I can attest the extensive damage the town suffered and the financial impact on the town. The first flood, at the end of July 2021, required that we borrow $350,000 from Fund Balance to begin on immediate repairs to get roads passable for emergency vehicles. Though it was the middle of the summer, we were acutely aware that in four months, the roads needed to be repaired sufficiently so that trucks and equipment wouldn’t be damaged while plowing snow. We had to borrow $2.1 million for repairs in 2021, when our annual budget, including funding capital reserve accounts was about $1.5 million. It’s taken years of diligent work to complete projects and get FEMA reimbursement, which has been cycling into paying for the next projects. A grant of any size would be helpful, but with disasters causing tens of millions of dollars of damage, a grant of $100,000 is much more beneficial than a grant of $25,000. I urge you to vote HB 165-FN ought to pass.