As reported in the Baltimore Sun, the Somerset County Board of Commissioners voted against offering buyouts to help Smith Island home owners get out of the way of future storms. According the Sun, the county expects to receive $8.6 million in federal aid and had considered using some of the money for the buyouts. The decision is in keeping with the opinion of the Smith Islanders, as described,
Rex Simpkins, president of the county commissioners, said local elected officials were swayed by the outpouring of opposition to the idea.
“They wouldn’t even leave during the storm,” Simpkins said Wednesday, so he wasn’t surprised that islanders didn’t welcome an offer to help them leave now.
For more information, see the full story from the Sun.
