The Graham County Commissioners voted 4-1 to rescind a floodplain ordinance adopting a revised FEMA map for the county. The map was approved two years ago. Since a unanimous vote was required, the matter will receive a second reading, which will only need majority approval.
Some residents speaking at the meeting claimed FEMA had run out of funding and responded by making an inappropriate map with inadequate data. Many residents claimed the ordinance only deprived them of property rights and consequently ran property values into the dirt. Some felt the only way to get the federal government’s attention for drafting a more realistic map would be to repeal the ordinance. Reportedly, Graham County has sustained no significant flood damage for the last 100 years.
Arguments in favor of keeping the ordinance included a desire not to jeopardize future access to federal grab bags; namely, disaster relief, flood insurance, and mortgage backing. Worse, the commissioners could be sued for depriving their citizens of these perquisites.
The commissioners also asked the assessor to make a 75% tax break for properties in the floodplain automatic. A former commission had approved the break in closed session, and so only those with the proverbial inside track could access it by request.
