The Dodge County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to refer an item to the county attorney’s office in regards to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds for Maple Township.
Chairman Bob Missel said that after the area flooding of 2019, the county entered into an interlocal agreement with a dozen townships.
“We would supplement their funding to pay for damage until they are reimbursed by FEMA,” he said. “As soon as they received the FEMA dollars the interlocal stated that they would turn that money over to the county. In the case of Maple Township, that hasn’t happened.”
Dodge County Zoning Administrator Jean Andrews said she has contacted the township about the issue.
“They came right out and said they received funds and we said that in that case, they needed to reimburse Dodge County,” she said. “They told us they had spent the money paying off their contractors.”
Andrews said the township was told that wasn’t how the agreement works.
“They have to pay us, plus interest which is what that agreement states,” she said. “I issued a letter that Mr. Missel did sign and was sent certified. It said that we would like to be reimbursed and I never did receive any word back from them.”
Highway Superintendent Scott Huppert said the situation is frustrating.
“If you remember over a year ago I was helping them out, but when a new board member got on there he told me he didn’t want me helping with their flood damage stuff,” he said. “He changed a lot of stuff … but yet they come in and want to borrow money and not pay us back. I’ve asked them if they’ve gotten money, they tell me they don’t know.”
Andrews said the first payment to Maple Township was about $419,000 with a second in September for $144,086.
The supervisors unanimously passed a motion to refer the issue to Dodge County Attorney Paul Vaughan for further review and possible legal action.
On Air Now
Steve
Mon- Fri: 03:00 PM - 07:00 PM
