McCrory outlines disaster relief request for Tuesday’s special session

Gov. Pat McCrory on Monday said he will ask the General Assembly to allocate about $200 million in relief from Hurricane Matthew-related flooding and wildfires in the western part of the state.

He has called the legislature back into session on Tuesday to consider his request. The session is expected to last two or three days, but the governor left the door open for lawmakers to take up other topics.

McCrory outlined his plan in a video posted online and in a news release.

The money would be spent on:

▪ Short-term housing for areas not covered by federal emergency management funding, and grants for help with rent, building new rental units and repairs.

▪ Adjusting school calendars in hard-hit areas that were closed for extended periods, and helping pay for repairs to infrastructure, trash pick-up, river maintenance and other local needs.

▪ Helping businesses recover.

▪ Rebuilding communities to make them less vulnerable to flooding and other disasters.

▪ Funding the state’s share of federal and state disaster relief.

“In the last three months, North Carolina has experienced some of the worst natural disasters in state history,” McCrory said in a statement his office released. “As we work to make sure North Carolina recovers stronger than before, we are committed to addressing the unmet needs of our citizens still suffering, and we must do it now, especially during the Christmas holidays and as cold weather approaches.”

McCrory in the video also credited the state’s large rainy day fund, which prevented having to seek a tax increase.

This story was originally published December 12, 2016 at 1:02 PM with the headline "McCrory outlines disaster relief request for Tuesday’s special session."