Leon County opens applications for $1 million storm recovery 'microgrant' program

Arianna Otero, Tallahassee Democrat

Leon County is quickly rolling out its $1 million grant program for local tornado victims, with applications set to open Thursday morning for individuals and businesses in the unincorporated parts of the county.

Just a week ago, the Leon County Commission voted 6-1 to move forward with the program at the urging of County Commissioner Christian Caban, who represents District 2. The tornado outbreak of May 10 brought destruction to his district, from Woodville to Florida State University's campus.

The Targeted Emergency Assistance Microgrant, or TEAM, program will open at 10 a.m. to distribute $1 million from the county's catastrophe fund.

While some local leaders have expressed concerns that the program could lead to a reduced investment by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, county officials maintain the funding will be "bridging the gap to potential federal disaster relief."

"The grant program will support residents with critical and emergency needs and help businesses with expenses not covered by insurance," a county news release said.

Leon County released FAQ on how application process will work

The county has added a "TEAM Leon" page to the county's website that features information on the application, additional resources and will include the application link once it goes live.

A Frequently Asked Questions section notes that applicants "may be required to report their award to other federal, state, or local programs, such as FEMA."

"As a result, this may impact the amount of financial assistance an applicant could receive from other programs," the FAQ says.

According to the county, there will be two applications that people in the unincorporated areas can apply for: Individual assistance or business assistance.

For example, individual assistance will look to help either renters or homeowners by giving them a one-time payment of up to $3,500.

According to a Q&A by County Administrator Vince Long, individual aid money will be divided, with "$1,500 for critical and emergency needs assistance and $2,000 for major property damage."

Business assistance, on the other hand, will provide a one-time payment of up to $10,000 to help pay for loss of inventory and business disruption, among other storm costs.

There are eligibility requirements and specific documents that applicants will need before they can apply:

  • Proof of age (18 or older).

  • Household or business must be in unincorporated Leon County.

  • Applicants must have been affected by May 10 tornadoes, which will be verified based off data from initial damage assessment done by the county.

  • Copy of a valid government-issued ID.

  • Social Security card.

  • Completed and signed W-9 form, and if applying for a business, the business name on the form must match SunBiz, the state's corporations website.

  • If renter, copy of current unexpired lease.

  • If homeowner, copy of deed, property tax bill, property appraiser information, or mortgage statement.

  • If applicant is owner of a business building or home of the business location, then a copy of the deed, property tax bill, property appraiser information or mortgage statement.

Residents and business owners in the path of the tornado who endured major damage "as assessed by the Leon County Emergency Management Damage Assessment Teams" will be given priority. But they must apply for the grant in the first week.

All other applications will be reviewed in the order in which they were submitted, subject to funding availability.

Applicants will be able to specify in their application how they would like to receive payment.

The county will stand up three Application Assistance Centers, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting Thursday and excluding Memorial Day.

The centers will be located at the Eastside Branch Library, 1583 Pedrick Road; Fort Braden Community Center, 16387 Blountstown Highway; Woodville Branch Library, 8000 Old Woodville Road. The TEAM Leon Helpline is also available to assist residents with questions at 850-606-TEAM (8326), Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon County opens applications for $1 million tornado recovery fund

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