Last month, Western Maryland was devastated by severe flooding that caused millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The state quickly responded, providing direct support to affected communities, including $460,000 in disaster recovery aid and $1 million in emergency assistance.

In the Office of the Comptroller, we immediately took action to support our businesses by granting automatic tax filing extensions for those affected, waiving penalties and interest for those who needed time to recover.

But despite the clear need and overwhelming damage, FEMA denied our request for federal disaster assistance — leaving families and businesses struggling to recover on their own.

Each of us has a role to play in helping our neighbors: the Governor, local officials, the Office of the Comptroller, and the federal government. This failure by FEMA is simply ridiculous. With flood damage estimated at over $15.8 million, Maryland should not be forced to go at it alone.

Maryland is resilient, and we’ll continue to step up to support the most vulnerable, even when the federal government won’t.

My best,

(She, Her, Hers)