This past Monday during the Carroll County Board of Supervisors meeting at the Carrollton Courthouse, I presented the National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance certification statement. This agreement was voted on by the Board of Supervisors and is a vital document for our county. It was signed off on by me and Board President Jim Neill. It shows our compliance with federal funding requirements and the emergency performance grant, both of which are vital for the day-to-day operations of emergency management in Carroll County, encompassing planning and disaster recovery.
Through the course of time when it came to funding, names like Senators Trent Lott and Thad Cochran were always part of a lot of legislation that brought federal dollars to this state. It made for better communities that included many aspects from transportation, infrastructure, and education. We can’t leave out those allocations for natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, that made a big difference.
While efforts from leaders like Lott and Cochran have demonstrated the importance of delivering for our state over the decades, local level engagement remains imperative. Preparing for the future is important, along with responding to needs in a community. However, pursuing funding is essential, and never giving up is crucial for any community. That is the plan for this year as we try again to achieve our goal.
Grant funding requires significant effort and time investment, but it can be immensely rewarding for a community once successfully completed. As many counties and municipalities will soon be setting and planning budgets to be approved for the FY 2024/2025, additional funding is a must. We kept these efforts up last Monday at the Carrollton courthouse.
Ken Strachan serves as the mayor of North Carrollton and is a member of the Mississippi Municipal League board of directors.
