The Jefferson County Council on Monday (March 23) unanimously approved an emergency ordinance allowing the county to spend from an account specifically set aside for disasters on measures to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Director of Administration David Courtway said by state law, the county must set aside a percentage of its expected revenue each year for emergency use.
This year, he said, the budget includes $840,000 in that account.
Councilwoman Renee Reuter (District 2, Imperial) questioned why the ordinance did not include an upper limit on spending.
"We do not know what's going to happen with this," County Executive Dennis Gannon said. "I can't give you what the upper limit is."
County Counselor Wes Yates said the ordinance by design has no upper limit.
"There is $840,000 in the fund for 2020 and that's what it would be up to," he said.
Gannon said Warren Robinson, director of the Office of Emergency Operations, has requested $10,000 to purchase personal protection equipment.
"Some of that might be reimbursed by the federal government," Yates said. "But right now, we don't know what that's going to entail."
Reuter asked if there will be reports on how the emergency fund might be spent.
"How will we have accountability on how much is being spent and what it's being spent on?" she asked.
Yates said the emergency ordinance is necessary because under state law, legislative action must occur for the county to tap into the emergency fund budget.
"This is the same identical bill that you passed in 2015 for flooding," he said.
"If we need more than $840,000, where would the money come from?" Reuter asked.
Courtway said the administration and the council would need to figure that out.
"If anything goes above that, you'd have to do a budget amendment taking the money out of other departments, or drawing from reserves," he said.
Councilman Charles Groeteke (District 4, Barnhart) and Reuter said they were concerned about depleting the emergency fund in the event of flooding this year.
"I understand that's a possibility," Gannon said. "We'll deal with that as it comes up."
Because it was an emergency ordinance, the council could approve it in a single meeting. Normally, three affirmative votes taken during at least two meetings are required for the passage of an ordinance.
The meeting, which lasted about 85 minutes, was conducted by telephone.
