Text of Senator Charles Schumer's Letter to Joe M. Albaugh Director, Federal Emergency Management Commission
Dear Director Allbaugh:
I am writing today to ask that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) do everything in its power to help local governments in New York's Capital Region shoulder the expense of the unprecedented 40 inches of snow it has received over the last ten days.
While the area is no stranger to the rigors of winter weather, this recent set of blizzards coincides with an acute fiscal crisis that has already forced Albany, Troy, Schenectady and their surrounding communities to contemplate, if not enact, massive tax increases in order to avoid deep deficits. It is vital that FEMA consider these pressing circumstances and take steps to reimburse the area for the costs associated with the cleanup of these storms as soon as possible.
The numbers involved in the recent snow squalls are truly staggering. Almost four feet of snow over the last ten days has caused Schenectady to spend an unplanned $110,000 on overtime snow removal. Troy, meanwhile, spent $50,000 on overtime snow plow crews in addition to $50,000 on salt. Albany has already exceeded its average winter snowfall of 62 inches and its mayor estimates that it will spend $200,000 on the clean up. Other communities have experienced similar costs.
Already strained by the burden of skyrocketing municipal budgets, these communities simply cannot bear the extra burden placed upon them by severe weather systems. As the storm clouds begin to subside and the sun begins to break through today, I hope you will be able to offer these cities some relief from the bleak fiscal future ahead of them. Without FEMA's help, the ability of these local governments to deliver the essential services their citizens depend on will be greatly diminished.
I look forward to working with you to ensure that these areas are reimbursed as quickly as possible for the resources they have employed in their exhaustive efforts to keep their communities safe.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator