Two new Republican Council of State members gave their reactions to Democrat Gov. Josh Stein’s first State of the State address Wednesday night.
State Auditor Dave Boliek praised Stein for putting Hurricane Helene relief ‘front and center,’ but said a few things were missing from the speech.
“The missing element tonight was a pledge of transparency to how tax dollars are being spent,” he said in a press release. “Also missing was any mention of the continued need to clean up the failed promises to eastern North Carolina as a result of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The fact that North Carolinians are still waiting on home repairs nearly a decade later is unacceptable.”
Stein did reference Matthew and Florence when he said the General Assembly should pass the $535 million Helene Recovery bill, which he also said included funding for survivors of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence, almost a decade later, who still do not have a home, in part due the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency’s (NCORR) botched efforts.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper created NCORR.
Boliek said that his office is ‘committed to holding the governor’s administration accountable in order to prevent a repeat of past mistakes.’
“Since my first day in office, we have worked to ensure there is transparency in relief efforts,” he said. “We want to set a new standard for recovery, and I hope the Stein administration will collaborate with us to create a more transparent process.”
Last month, Boliek’s office introduced a Helene Recovery Dashboard that allows users to track Hurricane Helene recovery in western North Carolina.
The Helene Recovery Dashboard tracks data by county, including Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, McDowell, Transylvania, and Watauga. It also shows how many households are displaced, utilizing FEMA shelter assistance, still seeking assistance, and not utilizing assistance. FEMA data is updated automatically each week.
Regarding Republican response from House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, Boliek said it ‘captured the expectations of everyday North Carolinians, and he looks forward to working with him and Senate Leader Phil Berger throughout the legislative session.
“North Carolina is the greatest state in the nation,” he said. “We’re the best to raise a family in, the best for business, and the people who call this state home are some of the finest you will ever meet. But there is room for improvement in government. Serving as your State Auditor and on the executive branch is a privilege I do not take for granted, and I am fully committed toward building a more effective, efficient, and accountable government.”
State Treasurer Brad Briner gave a shorter response.
“I am pleased Governor Josh Stein and the legislature are focused on Western North Carolina,” he said in a press release.“The Department of State Treasurer appreciated their support as we worked quickly to get money to the devastated communities through our $100M Cashflow loan program. These loans are helping cities and towns continue their cleanup efforts as they wait for federal money to arrive.”
Briner’s office distributed more than $73 million in the first round of interest-free loans to local governments in western North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
The funding comes from the $100 million cashflow loan program under SB 382, Disaster Recovery Act of 2024, which became law in December. Its goal is to help local governments whose communities were devastated by Hurricane Helene while they wait for federal money to arrive. The administration of the program was assigned to the state treasurer’s office.