Region Receives Community Crossing Grants

Article by Steve Garbacz | KPC News | December 6, 2022

INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers may not like paying their gas taxes, but when that money comes back home to the tune of $10.4 million, drivers get to see their dollars turn into pavement.

In the second round of state Community Crossings road grants awarded Friday, the six-county area of LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, DeKalb, Whitley and Allen counties picked up about 9% of the statewide total $119 million dished out this time.

Add that to the $5.63 million in awards doled out in April and northeast Indiana is seeing more than $20 million total being invested in roads this year.

Friday's Community Crossings awards went to 17 recipients in the six-county area.

Allen County led the way with five recipients totaling $3.26 million, followed by DeKalb County with five recipients getting $2.33 million in grants.

Noble County had three recipients totaling $1.63 million, Steuben County has two getting $1.58 million and LaGrange and Whitley counties each had a single recipient receiving $1 million and about $614,000, respectively.

Shipshewana, Clear Lake, DeKalb County and Grabill all received the maximum $1 million grant, while eight other communities received a half-million or more.

Most communities in northeast Indiana qualify in the small government category, meaning they can receive 75% grant dollars for a 25% match. A few larger areas — including Allen County and cities or towns over 10,000 residents including Auburn and Kendallville — receive a 50% grant for 50% matching funds.

"It's really a good deal," said State Rep. Dave Abbott, R-Rome City, on Friday. "It's our gas tax and some of our registration fees going to our roads. The lions' share of the dollars, especially in the cities, are really going to road paving."

Rep. Denny Zent, R-Angola, still remembers fighting for an 80/20 split for small towns when the program was first being formed in the legislature in 2016 and got close with 75/25. He's credited local communities in the region for aggressively going after those dollars.

"Bless their hearts, our people have been on it. They realize they can submit twice a year," he said.

With those road dollars flowing in annually, communities are better able to keep up on their infrastructure and set the table for new development, Zent said.

"We're doing what we can. If we can get a few other things to fall into place, you'll see some population growth," Zent said. "We've got the room. We've got the environment. We've got the people who are hard working."

Since its creation in 2016, Community Crossings has funded more than $1 billion in road work to Indiana counties, cities and towns.

In this cycle, 229 communities statewide received shares of $119 million.

“Modernizing and improving transportation infrastructure is a key component of driving economic development in the Hoosier state," said Gov. Eric Holcomb. "The Community Crossings program continues to help take communities to the next level by providing safe, reliable roads and bridges for residents and visitors alike."

Community Crossings awards

Here's who received grants in the December 2022 disbursement from Community Crossings:

LaGrange County

Shipshewana: $1 million

County total: $1 million

Steuben County

Angola: $580,553.84

Clear Lake: $1 million

County total: $1,580,553.84

Noble County

Avilla: $617,016

Ligonier: $339,565.88

Noble County: $671,118.34

County total: $1,627,700.22

DeKalb County

Auburn: $649.658.93

DeKalb County: $1 million

Garrett: $363,502.50

St. Joe: $241,l729.81

Waterloo: $76,240.48

County total: $2,331,131.72

Whitley County

Columbia City: $613,372.50

County total: $613,372.50

Allen County

Huntertown: $944,400

Grabill: $1 million

Leo-Cedarville: $140,216.54

Monroeville: $576,451.67

New Haven: $594,550

County total: $3,255,618.21

Source: Indiana Department of Transportation

Article source: https://www.kpcnews.com/newssun/article_df4963a6-a187-55d1-8639-94f407411a21.html