A month and half after Harvey, mayors of storm-hit cities are frustrated with some of the formalities of receiving federal disaster aid. Leaders of Rockport, Port Aransas, Victoria and Port Lavaca say the federal bureaucracy is getting in the way of helping their communities.
With national attention focusing on other disasters in the past month, some officials are concerned there will not be enough aid to go around.
“The pot is only so deep,” said Mayor of Port Aransas Charles Bujan. “You can only drain it so far."
The mayors also pointed out Governor Abbott's fifty-million dollar gift to Houston. Victoria Mayor Paul Polasek says the state should give similar attention to smaller cities.
"I don't want to say that they didn't need it,” Polasek said, “but I certainly wouldn't want to see poor planning rewarded either."
Aside from that critique, the mayors said the state has generally been faster and more helpful than the federal government in recovery efforts.
Watch Texas Tribunes full panel with the mayors of Rockport, Port Aransas, Victoria and Port Lavaca.