SW Ranches May Not Owe FEMA $750K Afterall
SOUTHWEST RANCHES (CBS4) – More than five years after Hurricane Wilma caused millions of dollars in damage to South Florida; a storm of another sort was brewing in Southwest Ranches over payments it received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Last month FEMA demanded that the town pay back $750 thousand in overpaid reimbursements. But a new audit by an outside contractor found two invoices which had been overlooked by FEMA, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Taking those invoices into account the town only owes FEMA about 38-thousand.
Current Town Administrator Charles Lynn said the new amount is much more manageable than trying to figure out how to come up with three-quarters of a million dollars. Lee said he never knew anything about the matter until a FEMA representative mentioned it during a discussion in late November. In doing a little checking, Lynn found that the first letter demanding repayment was sent in mid-2008.
As recently as August, 2010 FEMA sent a letter to Lee Rickles, the town's general services coordinator, who reportedly never followed up on it or informed Lynn.
After Wilma, FEMA reimbursed Southwest Ranches $2.3 million for damage and clean up costs.
Lynn said if they would have had to repay the $750 thousand they were prepared to dip into the town's $1.8 million emergency fund or even take out a loan.
Source: The Sun-Sentinel
