North Carolina Governor Josh Stein travelled to Henderson County on Monday with a request for lawmakers.
Standing in front of pallets of canned food and sports drinks stacked dozens of feet in the air at the MANNA food bank in Fletcher, Gov. Stein called on the state legislature to provide over a billion dollars for funding Hurricane Helene recovery programs.
“The people of Western North Carolina have suffered tremendously since Helene swept through,” Gov. Josh Stein said. “I appreciate what the General Assembly has done so far, but it’s time for us to step up and get them the money they need right now to rebuild. We can’t forget western North Carolina – and I will do everything in my power to ensure that the state shows up for them.”
The North Carolina Legislature has already passed three rounds of funding: the Disaster Recovery Act, Senate Bill 743 and Senate Bill 382, totaling about a billion in state funds.
The governor’s office estimated in December that $59.6 billion will be needed for recovery across Western North Carolina.
“ Nearly 60 billion dollars is much more than the people of Western North Carolina can bear. FEMA and the federal government will reimburse us for some of the recovery work, but there are some things that the federal government won't pay for, and that the people of Western North Carolina need now,” Stein said Monday.
A 12-page document of Stein’s recommendations for “Hurricane Helene Recovery Immediate Needs” outlines how the funding would be allocated – with $150 million allocated for two business grant programs and a Helene Home Construction and Repair Program each.
Stein’s plan lists five areas of investment, including the economy, farming, housing, infrastructure and childcare.
“ Our ambition is to help businesses survive the first two quarters of this year so they can open their doors to customers come the summer. If we fail to act, many businesses will not survive these slow, cold months, and what these entrepreneurs have built will be lost, and the employees will be out of a job,” Stein said.
Paying for the plan
The majority of the requested funding would come from the state’s Stabilization and Inflation Reserve. The rest – $225 million – would come from the Helene Disaster Recovery Fund, according to the governor.
Stein’s plan budgeted $100 million in grants for local governments who lost revenue because of the storm. It also set aside $100 million for business recovery grants – maxing out at $75,000 per business.
Under the plan, a home reconstruction and repair program will have $150 million dollars to dole out. Another $75 million will go towards funding repairs to private roads and bridges that many in western North Carolina rely on to leave their neighborhoods.
Projects to repair state facilities, including state parks and correctional facilities, will receive $135 million.
The governor listed dozens of other programs and projects in his announcement Monday. Stein was joined by State Rep. Jake Johnson (R-113), who represents counties affected by the storm.
“This has hit us very hard out here, but the fact that we are keeping this top of mind and top priority by having events like this and making sure that when we are working together it is in a bipartisan way, it's making the best use of the taxpayer dollar and Hopefully, we can look back in a year and go, the decisions we make and the partnerships we're creating right now help people get back to normal sooner than they would have,” he said.
Last month, when President Trump landed at the Asheville airport, Stein was there to greet him and spoke with him about the needs of the area.
Trump said during the visit that he would work with the newly-elected Stein.
“I want to say that we're very disappointed in FEMA. Your new governor, it's not his fault, he's brand new to the whole situation. But we're going to work together with the governor,” Trump said.
On Monday, Stein said Trump promised aid to the region.
“ He reiterated to me personally, but also to the public that he will not forget Western North Carolina, his administration won't forget Western North Carolina,” Stein said. “My hope is that Congress will pass another appropriation bill, another disaster relief bill in March. We are going to be working with our federal delegation to try to get more resources.”