After being partially reimbursed for Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Irma, the city of Ocala is still vying to potentially receive another $4.2 million in reimbursements.
During a meeting of the Ocala City Council on Tuesday, October 15, Budget Director Tammi Haslam briefed council members on the reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for both hurricanes.
Haslam indicated that although $3,126,827 had been received from FEMA for Hurricane Irma, the city was still eligible for around $4.7 million in additional reimbursements as a result of the storm. She stated that the city experienced more damages and expenses as a result of Hurricane Irma than for which it could receive reimbursement.
“The total was about $8.2 million, of which we determined the $7.8 [million] to be eligible,” said Haslam.
After District 5 representative Justin Grabelle asked about the timeframe for completion on some of the city’s requests, Haslam indicated that turnover at FEMA was a big part of the problem.
“We’ve had some difficulty with consistency in FEMA Project Managers. They tend to turnover pretty frequently, so you almost really have to start over again. We had a new FEMA manager start a month ago, so I’m trying to bring him up to speed of where we are” said Haslam.
Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in central Florida over two years ago, caused millions of dollars in destruction across Marion County and the rest of the state of Florida.
“I wouldn’t say the process has stalled by any means, we continue to work it, almost daily,” added Haslam.
For Hurricane Michael, the city received $643,319. During and after the storm, which happened one year ago in October 2018, The Ocala Police Department, Ocala Fire Rescue, Ocala Electric Utility, and Public Works sent employees to provide assistance to Northwest Florida communities recovering from the impact.
Although the City has received $513,847.18 in reimbursement, approximately $129,471.58 is still pending. The reimbursement will be distributed as follows: General Fund – $341,992; Local Gasoline Tax Fund – $7,804; Stormwater Utility Fund – $11,153; Electric Fund – $282,370.