Representative talks plans for committee returning to address Hurricane Matthew relief

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) –  A State House Committee is coming back to talk hurricane relief funds for families. One local lawmaker has spear-headed its return.

Columbus County Representative Brenden Jones demanding answers from the Governor’s office.

“We are in serious jeopardy of losing this $236 million,” said Rep. Jones referring to conversations he has had with Congressional leaders.

This after WBTV reported that the state Emergency Management Division missed a self-imposed deadline to receive and distribute federal disaster relief funds to families.

“It’s sad, these folks feel abandoned by their Governor and his administration,” Jones said.

The House Select Committee for Hurricane Relief will investigate the delays. Jones sits as a co-chair for the committee. The Emergency Management Division reports one of the 22 impacted counties has been approved to use the $236 million in block grant funding for disaster relief from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Governor Roy Cooper’s office released this statement to WWAY:

“Governor Cooper knows that for families who need it, help can never come quickly enough. To date, the administration has worked with federal, state, and local officials to put more than $739 million in recovery funds on the ground and more help is on the way. Hurricane recovery should be a bipartisan priority, not a political football. Emergency Management continues to operate application centers where families can apply for help and people can also call 2-1-1 to apply for assistance.”

Jones sent this letter to Governor Cooper’s office Tuesday with a list of questions regarding the reported shortcomings of the state.

“I am optimistic that the Governor will realize that we have to come to the end of this rope,” Jones said. “That he will do the right thing and come to this committee with the answers. No more blame game. Work with myself, leader Bell, speaker Moore and the rest of the General Assembly to ask for these funds and start to get them implemented out into the communities like what should have been done months ago. ”

The Governor’s office tells us they are working to get those funds. They did not answer our questions regarding the rejection of their first impact study required to gain fund approval.

Jones tells us the select committee will reconvene sometime in August. He plans to have a set date by the end of this week.