Franklin County commissioners are voicing their opposition to a plan to eliminate the state’s trust fund that helps pay for emergency Management services.
Under a proposal by Governor Rick Scott, the Emergency Management Preparedness and Assistance Trust Fund would be eliminated and all of the money would go into the state’s general revenue fund.
The Trust Fund was created in 1993 after Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida.
It’s funded by surcharges on certain insurance policies and is used to fund emergency management activities at both the state and local level.
Each of Florida's 67 counties receives an equal share of approximately $7 million dollars annually from the fund.
Emergency Management Director Pam Brownell said that if the county loses the money from the trust fund as well as the federal Emergency Management Performance Grant funds from FEMA that’s basically all of the money the local emergency management office has to operate from.
Commissioner Bevin Putnal said it seems that “the state is taking everything away from us.”
The commission voted unanimously to send the letter of opposition to the state senate for consideration during this year’s budget debate.
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