The town of Nichols, which suffered severe flooding last year during Hurricane Matthew, is closer to receiving much-needed state aid to get from underwater financially.
Two separate pieces of legislation being considered by the General Assembly each would provide $700,000 to help town officials continue operations and deliver vital services to residents.
The first is legislation I introduced in the Senate. That legislation would provide Nichols with $700,000 for “recovery expenses associated with the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, including, but not limited to, the repair or replacement of equipment, vehicles, and physical infrastructure,” according to the joint resolution.
The money would be provided as a forgivable, interest-free loan. If town officials are unable to secure federal disaster relief dollars to repay the loan within 36 months of receiving the money, the loan will be forgiven, under the terms of the legislation.
This state aid is needed because “Hurricane Matthew exacted an enormous toll on the Town of Nichols,” the legislation states, adding “it is financially impossible for the Town of Nichols to repair and replace the town’s vehicles, equipment, and physical infrastructure that was devastated by the hurricane without help from the State.”
Folk within the community, around the state and beyond have rallied to support the residents of Nichols. The support has come from the public and private sectors to aid recovery efforts.
For instance, the Marion County Healthcare Foundation, where I serve on the board of directors, announced in November it would match every dollar contributed to disaster relief in the area up to $200,000. Up to $100,000 of those matching dollars will go to aid the residents of Nichols.
In February, the foundation provided $400,000 to Nichols for the town’s operating expenses. In addition, the foundation has provided funding for dehumidifiers to help with mold abatement and for a consultant to help Marion County and Nichols with flood recovery.
Disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will aid owners of homes and businesses impacted by the severe flooding. However, none of those federal dollars have been identified to help with the town’s operating costs.
In January, Nichols Mayor Lawson Battle wrote to update me on the dire situation the town faced.
“We do not have an exorbitant budget as we are very frugal with our funds but the imminent reality is that we are a town with limited to no funds remaining and based on the non-existent tax base left after the storm, the depletion of operating funds has hit a critical level,” the mayor wrote.
“The Town has lost the majority of its revenue and it will be quite some time before we see this turn around.”
The legislation I introduced cleared the Senate around mid-March and now is in the House for consideration.
In addition, the proposed state budget for next fiscal year contains Hurricane Matthew aid, including $700,000 for Nichols.
The money for Nichols was in the budget bill adopted by the House and recently approved by the Senate Finance Committee. The budget now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
I have informed the governor’s office as well as the Senate Finance Committee chairman of the situation our friends in Nichols face.
“They can rebuild, but we must help them to march through these next few months of diminished revenue intake,” I wrote in January to the Senate Finance Committee chairman. “There is currently no precedent for a funding mechanism to aid an individual town with their operating costs. However, I believe no town in our state have ever faced such a recovery.”
I am thankful there are lawmakers who are willing to help our friends in their time of need. I look forward to working with them to continue the recovery efforts of our friends in Nichols.
It is an honor to serve you in Columbia, and I am grateful for your continued support. As with all matters concerning state government, I want to hear your opinions and suggestions concerning these issues. Please contact me in my Columbia office located at 608 Gressette Office Building. You can reach me, or a member of my staff in Columbia at (803) 212-6000 or by fax at (803) 212-6011. My district office is located at 2325 East Highway 76, Marion, SC 29571, the phone number is (843) 423-8237 and the fax number is (843) 431-6049. You may also email me at kentwilliams@scsenate.gov.
As always, I also want to supply you with my business phone number so that you will able to reach me easily at any time. My business phone is (843) 423-3904. Please use this information to write, call or email me with your suggestions and concerns regarding issues before the Senate and in our community.