Even more funding from the state’s Community Crossings Matching Grant Program will go towards improving county roads this year.
The Bartholomew County Commissioners on Monday approved the application for the grant, which went up to $3 million from $2 million last year, County Engineer Danny Hollander told the commissioners. Counties with a population greater than 50,000, including Bartholomew County, must match their grant 50-50, so the county would match $1.5 million provided from the state with another $1.5 million.
“I’ve been pushing – well we all have been pushing Rep. Ryan Lauer to either reduce the match or increase the amount of the award in that Community Crossings Grant because the cost of paving roads is just astronomical,” Commissioner Tony London said. “That allows us to basically do another 10 or 11 miles each year, so that’s a very positive thing, we all thanked (Rep. Ryan Lauer) for that.”
Hollander said county highway’s current budget for overlays is about $1 million, so he requested the commissioners come up with the additional $500,000. London said that would be provided through the County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT).
The $1.5 million from the state comes from the gasoline tax, Hollander said. “Our regular highway budget comes from the fuel tax, but I think Community Crossings is coming from the sales tax on gas.”
The program was established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2016 to invest in infrastructure to spur economic development and strengthen local transportation networks. INDOT holds two calls for the grants each year — one in January and another in July.
