Officials Find Unused $8.4 Million for Natural Disaster Reimbursements

• Joe Wertz
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  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

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Cities, towns and counties that haven't been reimbursed for disasters dating back to 2007 will be paid first, emergency management officials said.

The state will send $8.4 million to cities, counties, towns and the Oklahoma National Guard to reimburse costs related to natural disasters and extreme weather events.

Cities, counties and towns will get $6.4 million, and the Guard will receive $2 million for costs related to fighting wildfires, including expensive helicopter missions to dump water on statewide blazes, The Oklahoman’s Michael McNutt reported.

In mid-August, Oklahoma owed more than $36 million in disaster reimbursements to various city, county, municipal and tribal agencies. Gov. Mary Fallin called on legislators to replenish the emergency fund, which had a balance of less than $1,000 and hadn’t received an appropriation since 2008, the Tulsa World reported.

But, apparently, the emergency fund isn’t quite that empty.

Legislators in 2010 appropriated $15 million to the governor’s office for transfer to the state emergency fund. House Bill 2411, signed into law by then-Gov. Brad Henry, transferred $6.6 million from the State Treasury’s Special Cash Fund and $8.4 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Office of the Governor.

The money was to go to cities, towns, counties and electric cooperatives to help for pay for damage caused by blizzards, ice storms, floods and tornadoes.

The $6.6 million was distributed. But, faced with a budget shortfall, Henry held back the $8.4 million in case it was needed for core state services, Ashwood told The Oklahoman.

“The state emergency fund is not just for us,” Ashwood said. “Any other state agency can ask the governor to take money from that.”

Henry never acted on the $8.4 million, and Fallin didn’t know the money remained, state Finance Director Preston Doerflinger told the paper.

On Friday, Fallin signed a letter authorizing the funds for transfer.

Cities, towns and counties due reimbursements dating back to 2007 will receive funds first, Aswood said. Electric cooperatives, which are owed about $20 million, won’t receive any of the money. The state still owes about $28 million in disaster reimbursements to various entities and agencies, The Oklahoman reported.

The State Emergency Fund was created in 1963 to help communities respond to disasters. Once a presidential disaster declaration is issued, the federal government pays 75 percent of the reimbursement costs to cities, counties, electric cooperatives, water districts and other entities that sustained infrastructure damage.

The remaining 25 percent of the reimbursement costs are split between the state and individual entity.