JFAC passes $52 million emergency road repair plan

jfac

Idaho legislative budget writers have earmarked 52 million dollars to help repair weather-related damage to the state’s roads.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee Wednesday unanimously voted to sweep all the accumulating surplus in the current year’s budget into emergency relief.  Funding includes money from a 7-and-a-half million dollars consumer protection settlement with Moody’s and more than 39 million in state tax revenues that have come in over projections.

Committee members heard from Brigadier General Brad Richy, director of the state Office of Emergency Management, as he described the devastation across southern Idaho from the heavy snowfall from December 22nd through mid-January, and the flooding that followed.  Piles of snow led to the collapse of some 250 buildings, and the weather heavily damaged roadways.

Federal disaster declarations could bring 75 percent matching funds for some qualifying projects, with state and local match at 25 percent, including in-kind match such as volunteer hours.

For projects that don’t qualify for the federal funds, the state would pay 90 percent and local entities would have a 10 percent matching obligation.   (Spokesman-Review)

Tags: