City of Quincy Reorganization Meeting

The Black Caucus Vows to Fight for Gadsden County Hurricane Michael Recovery Funds

On Friday, April 5, 2019, the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida toured Gadsden County. It was a very successful tour of the County. Senator Gibson, who headed the delegation, expressed the delegation’s support for Gadsden County and committed to fighting for the County’s total Hurricane Michael’s needs in the budget appropriations conference process. The delegation held a live streaming Facebook Press Conference in Chattahoochee, pledging to support Gadsden County.

The delegation was extremely impressed with the Trulieve operation and asked inquisitive and thought-provoking questions during their visit at the Ben Bostick Road Trulieve location. The Gadsden County tour ended in Quincy with a presentation by Mayor Angela Sapp, Interim City Manager Jack McLean, and Utilities Director Robin Ryals, and lunch at Carol’s Country Kitchen and to some of the areas damaged during Hurricane Michael. Congressmen Al Lawson joined the delegation for lunch (The cost of the lunch will be shared by the cities).

Our staff performed excellently throughout the coordination of this event. Public Works Director Reggie Bell, Utilities Director Robin Ryals, Equipment Operator Jeffery Woodson, and Van Perkins, Administrative Assistant to the City Manager performed admirably during the Black Caucus visit.

Senator Montford’s Press Conference on Hurricane Michael Funding

Mayor Angela Sapp and Interim City Manager Jack L. McLean Jr. joined Senators Bill Montford (D-Tallahassee, District 3); George Gainer (R-Panama City, District 2; and Doug Broxson (R-Pensacola, District 1) at the March 7, 2019 press conference to announce the filing of SB 1610, Emergency Mitigation and Response, that appropriates $315,285,000 to cities, counties, and businesses damaged by Hurricane Michael

Message From City Manager

Hurricane Michael Surcharge
The City paid $1,819,660 of $3.2M owed to mutual aid cities to date. One hundred and fifty linemen from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida came to our rescue. Many of our customers/citizens are now seeing a Hurricane Michael Surcharge on the February utility bills. The City applied to FEMA for the $3.2M owed the mutual aid cities. The City has not received any FEMA funding and the federal government is not likely to reimburse the City for the $3.2M it will spend by the end of the current fiscal year any time soon. Based on recent disaster experiences of other cities and counties, the earliest FEMA reimbursement dollars will be available to the City is 3 years from the October 10, 2018 disaster declaration.

After December 2018 legal notices, the City Commission passed a sunset Hurricane Michael Surcharge to pay the mutual aid cities, who help to our utility’s crews restore power faster than other utilities in the county. Notice of the planned increase were sent to our 4700 customers on January 24 and February 12, 2019. The average residential surcharge is $9.00. This surcharge will sunset in 4 years. The FEMA funds, when received, will be placed in Emergency Funds to help with future disasters and emergencies.
Because of the Hurricane Michael Surcharge, the City will be better able to handle any future hurricane or emergency.

Thank you for being a valued customer!

The Hillcrest Cemetery’s Western Gate, along Solomon Road (14^th St.) is closed. The Western Gate will be open only for funerals and maintenance work by the Public Works Department and the Utility Department. Going forward, the public may access the cemetery at the entrance, Eastern Gate, Sunset Drive.