North Carolina official overseeing hurricane rebuilding efforts is no longer in role

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The top official for North Carolina’s efforts to rebuild communities after natural disasters is no longer working in the position just a few days after a scathing rebuke of her work from GOP state lawmakers.

Laura Hogshead, who served as the office’s chief operating officer for the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency since 2018, was no longer employed within the state’s Department of Public Safety as of Wednesday, according to Janet Kelly-Scholle, the office’s public information officer.

Her exit from the position comes after tensions flared at a joint legislative oversight committee hearing Monday while the office sought more state money for projects dealing with two hurricanes from several years ago. Weary of the office’s ability to handle western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene, Republican legislators directed much of their ire toward Hogshead’s leadership and called on her to resign.

Taking Hogshead’s place in the interim is Pryor Gibson, a legislative lobbyist for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and a former state representative. He was also questioned alongside Hogshead on Monday by state legislators on the office’s budgetary problems.

Cooper established the office, also known as ReBuild NC, as a way to improve infrastructure in eastern North Carolina after it was hit by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018 — the two storms the office has been plagued by criticism for.

What was initially reported this fall as a $175 million shortfall for ongoing housing projects in the eastern part of the state grew to a request of more than $220 million at Monday’s hearing. The money will go to the state’s Homeowner Recovery Program, which offers to “repair, rebuild, replace or elevate homes” of applicants affected by Matthew and Florence, according to ReBuild NC’s website.

The governor’s office did not specifically comment on Hogshead’s departure, but spokesperson Jordan Monaghan said in a statement the recovery office has made “substantial progress” in rebuilding homes in the region.

“NCORR has rebuilt or repaired 2,897 houses, completing approximately 115 houses per month this year, and it is critical that these efforts continue until the job is done,” Monaghan said. “Pryor Gibson will lead the office during the transition to Governor-Elect Stein and work to ensure that this recovery is completed.”

During Monday’s hearing, Hogshead admitted fault in some of the office’s budget issues, such as keeping up with encumbrances — commitments to pay for future services like contracted work. She told the panel she “should have been watching more carefully.”

“We do have money that we can move within our model. What we’re saying to you all is, we can move money but we have to break commitments,” Hogshead said.

Republican Rep. Brenden Jones asked Hogshead during the hearing if she would resign from her role, but she refused.

The General Assembly sent legislation to Cooper’s desk on Wednesday that allocated another $50 million to the recovery office to address the Homeowner Recovery Program shortfall. That would bring to $80 million what the legislature has agreed to provide the program since last month.

But this week’s measure also ordered the State Auditor’s Office to conduct a financial and performance audit of the recovery office by July, and for state budget staff to perform ongoing financial monitoring. Rep. Destin Hall, who is the Republicans’ choice to become the next House speaker early next year, told reporters this week to expect “wholesale reform” of the office after describing their work in eastern North Carolina as a “disgrace.”

The office needs at least $40 million monthly for the next three months to narrow its funding gap, Gibson told lawmakers on Monday. Without the necessary funds, the program may be forced to pause projects in eastern North Carolina, he said.

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Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.