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Page 3 of 4 <br /> 3 . Elimination/Cuts to FEMA <br /> Counties agreed that reform is needed and that adding NACo to the new FEMA <br /> Review Council is crucial for the effectiveness of the reform effort . <br /> Counties also agreed that eliminating or reducing FEMA would cause irreparable <br /> harm at the local level . <br /> Many of the emergency capabilities built in Orange County since 9/ 11 have been <br /> federally funded or supported : <br /> o The annual Emergency Management Grant Program ( EMPG) : <br /> Supports upfits to the Emergency Operations Center, training/exercises , <br /> and creation of the Countywide Emergency Operations Plan . <br /> o The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities ( BRIG ) grant : <br /> Supported acquisition of the County' s new mobile command post . <br /> o FEMA' s Homeland Security Grant Program ( HSGP ) : <br /> Funds the State ' s Domestic Preparedness Regions and has supported <br /> the acquisition of generators , prime movers (tow vehicles) , hazmat <br /> decontamination capabilities , explosive ordinance disposal capabilities , <br /> and interoperable communications . <br /> o The Assistance to Firefighters Grant program : <br /> Funded the purchase of electric stretchers . These devices have improved <br /> safety for patients and cut our worker' s compensation injuries by nearly <br /> 50 % . <br /> o The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program ( HMGP ) : <br /> Enabled acquisition /elevation of flood - prone properties locally . <br /> Regarding disaster recovery : <br /> o The State ' s capability to support counties is largely enabled by administrative <br /> funding associated with Major Disaster Declarations . <br /> North Carolina has not historically funded the positions necessary to <br /> execute recovery . <br /> o Diminishing Federal or State ability to administer these programs would cause <br /> recovery to drag out even further . <br /> o The budgets of counties will suffer new strains to finance disaster <br /> response . <br /> 4 . Removal of Federal tax exemption on interest received on municipal bond <br /> holdings <br /> NACo shared that the impact of such a change would equate to a 2 . 1 percentage <br /> point increase in bond interest rates . Orange County has a AAA credit rating and <br /> assuming a 2-percentage point impact : <br /> o For Orange County ' s existing bond portfolio , this would introduce an additional <br /> cost of $78 . 2 million over the life of the bonds . <br /> o For our new school bond program , this would add $ 50 million in cost over the life <br /> of the bonds . <br />