The Ashe County Board of Commissioners voted March 17 to accept a state cash-flow loan intended to cover immediate hurricane recovery expenses while the county awaits federal reimbursement.

County staff told commissioners the loan, created in legislation passed in October 2024, is designed to cover upfront costs such as debris removal, temporary operations and repairs while the county pursues FEMA reimbursements. "The program, the funds, are really the cash flow things that we are spending now," the county presenter said, adding the loan amount is about $468,000 and that there is no interest on the loan.

The agreement includes a repayment schedule and an end date in 2030; state lawmakers have discussed making some loans forgivable but no change has been authorized, the presenter said. The county will continue to pursue FEMA and other reimbursements and may use the state funds only as needed in the near term. "If we need them, we'll put them to use until we can get some better idea of when we'll start to see FEMA reimbursements coming through," the presenter said.

A motion to accept the loan was made and seconded on the floor and commissioners voted in favor. The meeting record does not list individual vote tallies or the names of the motion mover and seconder.

The board asked follow-up questions about the broader scope of expected reimbursements and debris-removal contracts; staff said they would report additional totals to the board at a later date.

Proponents said the loan will allow the county to maintain operations and pay vendors while federal funds are processed. Commissioners noted continuing work on debris removal and other recovery priorities around the county.