RALEIGH In a special session of the N.C. General Assembly scheduled to convene Tuesday, Gov. Pat McCrory announced in a video message LINK that he will be requesting $200 million to help communities affected by Hurricane Matthew as well as those affected by wild fires in western parts of the Old North State.”In the last three months, North Carolina has experienced some of the worst natural disasters in state history,” said McCrory in the message. “As we work to make sure North Carolina recovers stronger than before, we are committed to addressing the unmet needs of our citizens still suffering, and we must do it now, especially during the Christmas holidays and as cold weather approaches.”McCrory’s request outlines five areas of focus for any relief legislation:
Housing to provide short-term housing for areas not covered by FEMA and provide grants for rental assistance, construction of new rental units and repairs;Local Governments to address school calendar flexibility and help fund repairs to infrastructure, trash pick-up, river maintenance and other local needs;Economic development and stabilization to help impacted businesses get back on their feet;Planning to ensure communities are rebuilt in a sustainable way so that future leaders and families won’t be faced with the similar destruction when the next disaster strikes;and funds to cover the state share of Disaster Relief to directly help our citizens.McCrory said the priorities were derived directly from input by impacted communities throughout the state. In the last two months, the governor’s Hurricane Matthew Recovery Committee held five regional meetings throughout the state to hear feedback from those impacted.The extra appropriations will not require any tax increases, added McCrory, due to the robust status of the State’s rainy-day fund. The General Assembly convenes its special session Tuesday, December 13 at 10:00 am.
