By Sherry Koonce

The News staff writer

BEAUMONT — On the final day of the 2009 Hurricane Season, storm-related issues topped the list of concerns Jefferson County mayors brought to Congressman Ted Poe during a luncheon held in their honor.

“Dealing with FEMA and trying to get reimbursed, that continues to be an issue for all of us,” Deloris “Bobbie” Prince, said.

Poe, R-Houston, represents the 2nd Congressional District of Texas and plans to meet mayors in all parts of his district. Monday’s mayoral luncheon in Beaumont was the first scheduled.

In addition to Prince, mayors in attendance were R.A. “Dick” Nugent, Nederland; Glen Johnson, Port Neches and Becky Ames, Beaumont. Groves mayor Brad Bailey was not in attendance.

“I wanted to find out the cities’ concerns and how the government can help them with those concerns,” Poe said during a press conference at his Beaumont office Monday.

Moreso than other Jefferson County cities, Port Arthur and Beaumont are facing difficulties in getting reimbursements from FEMA.

In some cases, the cities are still awaiting reimbursement from Hurricane Rita-related damages.

Poe said Rita reimbursements were bogged down on the state level, but those coming for Ike damages were still at the federal level.

Changes should be made to the FEMA agency, he said.

“FEMA needs to get out of Homeland Security. They need to have a person here that can make a decision and not have to call Washington,” he said. “Getting FEMA to move forward is a constant struggle.”

Disaster-related funds should go directly to the disaster site, and not have to go through the state, he said.

Poe said the need for jobs and Housing and Urban Development projects were other concerns brought by the mayors.

“To a great extent, it is the uncertainty of the economy that is causing industry to hold off on hiring,” he said.

Though there are some ambitious projects likely to be funded with economic stimulus money, such as neighborhood stabilization efforts in Port Arthur, those projects are not bringing jobs, he said.

“I don’t think the stimulus has had the positive effect that was hoped. The bill has not created jobs like it was supposed to,” Poe said.

Poe said he will travel to Afghanistan next week to see first hand how the troops are, and what they need. The Congressman supports the president’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan and would send more troops there himself, if the decision was his.

“I say send’em,” he said.

At this juncture, it is important to take a hard, bold stand that the U.S. is going to finish the fight, he said.

“I hope the president is bold and I hope he is strong in this,” Poe said.

Poe said he decided to meet with Jefferson County mayors first because the county had so much going on.

“From the industrial expansions, to efforts to deepen and widen the Sabine Neches Waterway to working with TxDot projects, there’s just a lot of positives going on in Jefferson County,” he said.

The county, he said, is the industrial and educational hub of the district.

Prince said she thought the meeting was productive.

“It was a wonderful session. He gave us the opportunity to share any issues we might have and I am thankful for his doing that,” Prince said.

The 2nd Congressional District of Texas stretches east from northern Harris County, through Liberty County, and encompasses all of Jefferson County to the southeast Texas border.

skoonce@panews.com