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Grayson Co. still waiting on FEMA money Save Email Print
Posted: 6:46 PM May 15, 2008
Last Updated: 6:46 PM May 15, 2008
Reporter: Daniel Gotera
Email Address: daniel.gotera@kxii.com

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GRAYSON COUNTY, Tex. -- Grayson County crews have been working for almost a year now to fix roads damaged in last summer's floods, but now that work may come to an end. Officials say they expected to be compensated for the all the repairs, but the money from the federal government money is nowhere to be found.

FEMA had cut the funding that Grayson County officials thought they would receive for flood damages two months ago. They still haven't received it. Now the county is left with one option: file an appeal.

The 2007 floods destroyed countless roads, and left Grayson County crews to pick up the pieces. The storms devastated not only the landscape, but the county's finances as well, and there's no help from FEMA in sight.

"Either correct their mistake like they should or sit down and say OK lets just start this whole thing over again," Grayson County Precinct 1 Commissioner Johnny Waldrip says.

Waldrip is referring to the thousands of dollars in federal relief FEMA was supposed to give the county that FEMA never delivered.

"They're very sympathetic, they said, ‘Guys, we know what went wrong but the rule book is here and the bosses say you know we can’t make a decision,’" Waldrip says.

The problem occurred when a couple of months after the flooding, officials from each precinct sat down with representatives from FEMA to go over all damages incurred by the flooding.

Waldrip says both sides made a list of what needed to be fixed and how much it would cost, a list which was approved by FEMA, but several months later the organization started cutting back on some of the projects without telling county officials, leaving them wondering how to foot the bill.

"The sad thing is they send out their representative out here to do the work that they don’t have any faith in, because as soon as they do the work that someone sends in then some fellow sitting in an office says he doesn't approve of it and he changes it without even going to the job site," Waldrip says.

County officials can appeal the decision, but only if crews complete the work first. That doesn't make any sense to Waldrip, who is down a substantial amount of money with the busiest season just around the corner

"Basically we're $50,000 short and the repairs we need to do this summer won’t get done."

We spoke to a representative from FEMA who told us there's often a difference in opinion on what some projects cost among FEMA officials. In the meantime, Grayson County leaders say they will call Representative Ralph Hall to see if he can help solve the problem.

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Posted by: Anonymous on May 16, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Yeah right, like the government wants to give anybody the money they've promised...

Posted by: Harry Location: Grayson on May 16, 2008 at 09:40 AM
Cowboy Up Dudes! Just because a catastrophic event such as a flood happens, why do you expect the Federal Government to make you whole again? There is a big problem today with everyone expecting to never take a loss on anything. Stuff happens and we all take losses. When Grayson County grades the roads where I live, often times they make it worse than what it was before. What should I do, call you up and expect you to change it back to like it was before you graded?

Posted by: Buddy Location: Texas on May 15, 2008 at 07:57 PM
Why does this not surprise me.Just as with every domestic issue from disater relief to insurance for poor and destitute children the Republicans and GEORGE W BUSH have managed to shut this country down they dont care...Period.The U.S.Treasury has been looted by the crookedest adminastrstion in our history and WE THE PEOPLE either cant or wont stop it.Wonder how roads in Iraq that KBR built are looking?

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