Last year, heavy rains washed out roads and beaches across the Monadnock Region and the Connecticut River Valley. The flooding cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and Governor Craig Benson applied for emergency aid from the federal government to help pay for repairs. Local towns received the federal money, but the state has not ponied up its share of the emergency aid. And as New Hampshire Public Radio's Raquel Maria Dillon reports, those floods weren’t the only time the state didn't contribute to disaster relief.
Last August, summer storms pounded Western New Hampshire – swelling streams, flooding houses, and sweeping away roads. After the waters receded, Governor Craig Benson asked the President to declare a "major disaster" in Cheshire and Sullivan Counties.
With that designation, local municipalities can apply for federal money to help fix public property and town infrastructure – roads, bridges, and beaches. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reimburses three-quarters of the cost of repairs, and local municipalities and the state chip in the rest – 12.5 percent each.
But that's not what happened in the small towns affected by flooding last year.
CARRIER :07 We lost several culverts several roads were washed out. Part of our beach was eroded.
Rick Carrier is the Town Manager in Chesterfield. He says the feds reimbursed the town 120-thousand dollars for repairs, but the state never paid its share. He says the town paid for the rest of the repairs with local tax dollars. So if and when the state makes its contribution, the money will go directly to lowering the local tax rate.
CARRIER :09 our property taxpayers have paid the share of that cost and when we get the state's share back then we'll get it back to them in the form of reduced taxes.
Republican State Senator Bob Odell and Senate President Tom Eaton sent a letter to Governor Benson, asking him when the towns can expect to see the state's share of the repair bill. Chesterfield is still waiting for 20-thousand dollars from the state. State Senator Bob Odell:
ODELL :17 No, it's not that much money but it means a lot to these communities. And as matter of principle State of NH should stand by it's word. If $ is available within Governor's budget because fortunately he underspent in some areas, we should share that savings with these communities. Because we said we'd do it.
Acworth Representative James Phinizy (FIH-nih-zee) also contacted the Governor last November because his town is waiting to be reimbursed. He says the Governor's office response was that the state budget was too tight. And in the middle of the state budget crisis, he believed them.
PHINIZY :16 well at least I thought it was tight until I saw the Governor's office handing out bonuses. Until I saw the Governor's office return apparently about $400K from their budget, which I think would have amply covered the emergency funds that were necessary for the towns.
The state has also failed to match its share of disaster funds for the cost of cleaning up after two Winter storms last year. That's according to the state Bureau of Emergency Management, which distributes the federal and state funding. In February 2003 and again December 2003, the feds contributed about a million and a half dollars each time to reimburse towns and cities for snow removal, sanding, and salting emergency routes.
For example, after record snowfalls last December, Manchester applied for 135-thousand dollars in assistance and received over 100-thousand dollars from the federal government. But Manchester officials say the state made it clear that it would not be contributing its usual 12.5 percent. For Manchester that's about 16-thousand dollars.
Representative Phinizey says that money is sorely needed in New Hampshire towns.
PHINIZY :14 Particularly towns like Acworth and Langly and smaller towns really are very strained and tight in their budgets and don't have 2 nickles to rub together. Any amount of money is important to them.
The Legislature is not in session, but State Senator Odell says there are options. He's on the Senate's Fiscal Committee which can approve a transfer of funds to the towns.
ODELL :10 I would prefer to have the governor offer to step forward and handle this. So we don't have to use the legislative process to solve something that should be a basic executive department decision.
Odell spoke with the Governor earlier this week. He says Benson promised to "look into" the problem. His spokeswoman, Alicia (ah-LISH-ah) Preston, said the same thing.
PRESTON :07 On the matter of the flooding and the state funds that they're looking for, the governor has received the letter and he is looking into it.
Meanwhile, back in Chesterfield, Rick Carrier is grateful for help from his legislators, but he says he's not holding his breath.
CARRIER :13 if the governor promised it to us, and we're owed it, I think we should be seeing a check as soon as possible. But we know how the state government works and uh, I'll just leave it at that.
For NHPR News, I'm RMD.
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