Wellington the latest to have a FEMA problem.

Cities and counties in Florida hoping that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse them for millions of dollars spent cleaning up after last year's hurricanes might as well be last-minute shoppers trying to stock up on storm supplies: After a long wait, there's no guarantee that they'll get what they need.

Because of FEMA's poor management, more local governments planning budgets for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 might be tempted to do what Wellington and the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority have proposed -- levy a one-time surcharge. Taxpayers, however, should not have to pay twice for the same service.

Wellington council members are expected to vote tonight on a proposed "hurricane recovery fee," which could be as much as $115 per home and would cover a $2.1 million gap between what the village spent on hurricane cleanup and what FEMA is expected to repay. Half of the gap is for debris pickup expenses on private roads, including more than 19,000 cubic yards in the Greenview Cove and Palm Beach Polo and Country Club communities.

About 185,000 homeowners in unincorporated Palm Beach County may face a $50 curbside pickup fee, after the Solid Waste Authority depleted its $9.5 million reserve cleaning up after Frances and Jeanne. The authority is paying nearly $3,000 in interest daily on a $50 million loan. The first of three FEMA checks totalling $30.2 million to Palm Beach County is allegedly imminent. With FEMA, only seeing is believing.

Other communities are postponing or setting aside less money for long-term projects (Royal Palm Beach), relying on lower reserves (Palm Beach Gardens) and -- as with Martin County, which is still tallying about $36 million in reimbursement requests -- simply hoping for the best. FEMA's wrongheaded policy on debris pickup penalizes local governments for doing what was prudent: Clearing the streets as quickly as possible after the storms. Like bullets fired in a drive-by shooting, debris in a hurricane has random aim. Tree stumps and twisted metal from a gated community are no less dangerous than debris on a public street.

If Wellington and the solid waste authority collect the storm fee, taxpayers at least should be reimbursed when FEMA reimburses the agency. It is the job of the state's congressional delegation to make sure that it's "when" and not "if."