Calvert, a small rural town with a rich history, nestled quietly between Waco and College Station, will kick off the new year with a brand new police vehicle to serve its over 1,200 rural residents. This rural Texas town was founded in 1870 and encompasses the Calvert Historic District, known for its roughly 70 acres consisting of 82 buildings, one site and two other structures.

The city’s police department has had a desperate need for assistance with their patrol units.  In 2018, the city applied for and was approved for funding of a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe, which it still uses today.  The city needed an additional patrol unit and requested funds again through USDA’s Community Facility Program and was awarded a grant of $48,000 towards the purchase of a new 2020 Chevrolet Tahoe. The city will contribute $16,031 of their own funds to the project.  

The police department is expected to receive its new fully equipped patrol car in early 2021.

USDA Rural Development’s Community Facility Loan and Grant Program provides affordable funding for essential facilities to rural towns, cities, non-profit corporations, public bodies and Indian tribes.  Funds may be used to purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.