RALEIGH, N.C. — The lead official responsible for rebuilding efforts in North Carolina after natural disasters has vacated her position, just days following a harsh critique of her performance from Republican state legislators.
Laura Hogshead, who had been the chief operating officer at the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency since 2018, is no longer part of the state’s Department of Public Safety as of Wednesday, as confirmed by Janet Kelly-Scholle, the office’s public information representative.
Hogshead’s departure comes in the wake of heightened tensions during a joint legislative oversight committee hearing on Monday. During this meeting, the office was seeking additional funding for recovery projects related to two hurricanes that struck the area years ago. Republican lawmakers expressed skepticism about the office’s capacity to effectively manage recovery efforts in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, directing much of their frustration at Hogshead and demanding her resignation.
At this point, there has been no immediate commentary from the governor’s office regarding Hogshead’s exit.
Pryor Gibson, a legislative lobbyist for Democratic Governor Roy Cooper and a former state representative, will step in as the interim head of the office. Gibson was also scrutinized alongside Hogshead on Monday regarding the budget issues faced by the office.
Governor Cooper created the office, also referred to as ReBuild NC, in an effort to enhance infrastructure in eastern North Carolina following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018. These two disasters have continuously drawn criticism toward the office’s performance.
Originally, a projected shortfall of $175 million for ongoing housing initiatives in eastern North Carolina has now escalated to a request exceeding $220 million, as discussed on Monday. The funding is intended for the state’s Homeowner Recovery Program, which aims to assist applicants who were affected by Matthew and Florence by providing options to repair, rebuild, replace, or elevate their homes.
During the hearing, Hogshead acknowledged some of the office’s shortcomings regarding budget management, specifically in tracking encumbrances, or financial commitments for future services. She expressed that she “should have been monitoring more closely.”
Regarding the budget situation, Hogshead stated, “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.”
Republican Representative Brenden Jones prompted Hogshead during the session to resign, but she declined to do so.
On Wednesday, the General Assembly forwarded a funding bill to Governor Cooper, which allocates another $50 million to the recovery office to help address the shortage in the Homeowner Recovery Program. This brings the total funding provided to the program over the past month to $80 million.
However, the latest legislation also mandates that the State Auditor’s Office conduct both a financial and performance audit of the recovery office by July. State budget officials are also required to implement ongoing financial oversight. Representative Destin Hall, anticipated to become the next House speaker, indicated that significant reforms within the office are to be expected, calling their handling of recovery efforts in eastern North Carolina a “disgrace.”
Gibson informed lawmakers on Monday that the office requires a minimum of $40 million monthly over the next three months to address its funding challenges. Without this financial support, the Homeowner Recovery Program may have to suspend operations in eastern North Carolina.