Sheriff says EMPG grant likely to lapse; county faces $172,161 shortfall for EOC

The Suwannee County Sheriffreported to the commission on Aug. 19 that the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) likely will not be available next year, and the county will face a budget shortfall to operate its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) without the grant.
The sheriff said the county would need an additional $172,161 to run the EOC if the EMPG grant is not awarded, and also referenced a county match amount of $54,940. County staff described the EOC as moving to a proposed standalone budget for fiscal year 2025 6 and said the shortfall would need to come from county contingency if the grant is not received.
Board members discussed whether the EOC costs were already included in the sheriffs budget and confirmed the figures were being rechecked; staff said numbers were rerun to ensure accuracy. Commissioners were told there was not yet definitive notice on the grant and that answers could surface during the tentative budget process.
No board action was taken at the Aug. 19 meeting; staff and the sheriff said they would return with clearer information at upcoming budget hearings and asked the board to be prepared to consider contingency funding if the grant is not awarded.