This past Friday when I met with Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials and Federal EMA officials on County Road 41 in north western Carroll County, the effects of flooding on our infrastructure were evident. The Carroll County Board of Supervisors and the municipalities have done a great job in acquiring funding over the years by being granted federal declarations for infrastructure.
It has been a continuous cycle through the years from flood damage, tornado damage, and even winter storms for our infrastructure. The Carroll County Board of Supervisors, and the three municipalities of Carrollton, North Carrollton, and Vaiden have all sought funding for recovery in years past.
This week we are finishing up the damage assessments in Crisis Track, the state reporting system, which documents the damage. This is from the storms that occurred during the month of March 2025.
As of this writing, the state of Mississippi should find out soon if there is a federal declaration issued for the 2025 tornado recovery, like has been issued in the past. Carroll County has done a lot of work this month to be in the running for a federal declaration.
Few would disagree that infrastructure is the platform for how counties and municipalities improve the lives of their citizens. Across this state, smart infrastructure investments enhance connectivity, both physically and electronically. Infrastructure is the foundation for building smart, modern economies.
The big ticket items for infrastructure funding for counties are of course roads, culverts, and bridges. Municipalities infrastructure is expanded to water and sewer services. These all are very expensive when it comes to funding.
When seeking funding through FEMA in years past, it was a plus for acquiring revenue to help with infrastructure. Seeking these funds were good business decisions for recovery and helped budgets to improve infrastructure.
As we are in the spring of 2025, and people are lying awake at night concerned about their health, jobs, and what the future holds as for economic stabilization, an effort with the federal government for funding is important now more than ever. From first responders, including law enforcement and emergency medical services, at any given moment can be needed to respond, traveling to a location in a prompt amount of time. With our responder’s quality, infrastructure is a must to respond in a timely manner. Here in 2025, we are dedicated to serving others while making our best efforts for a better tomorrow for generations to come.
Ken Strachan serves as the mayor of North Carrollton is a member of the Mississippi Municipal League board of directors, and serves on the MML board of directors.
