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34 <br /> 3. Elimination / Reform of 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 (BRIC) 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 <br /> improved safety for patients and cut our worker's compensation <br /> injuries by nearly 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 funded by administrative <br /> costs associated with Major Disaster Declarations. <br /> North Carolina has not historically funded the positions necessary to <br /> execute recovery. <br /> o Diminishing the Federal or State's ability to administer these programs would <br /> cause recovery to drag out even further. <br /> This will force localities to dip into reserve funds, if they are <br /> available, to finance disaster 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 an additional 2.1 <br /> percentage point increase in bond interest rates. <br /> Orange County has a AAA credit rating and assuming a 2-percentage point impact: <br /> o For the existing bond portfolio, this would introduce an additional cost of$78.2 <br /> million over the life of the bonds. <br /> o For Orange County's new school bond program, this would add $50 million in <br /> cost over the life of the bonds. <br />