U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Missouri State Director Jeff Case today announced USDA is awarding $41,000 to Bloomfield Development Corporation to purchase a police vehicle.
“Adequate, reliable emergency services are vital to rural communities throughout the nation,” said Case. “USDA Rural Development offers funding programs that allow small, rural communities, like Bloomfield, an affordable means to maintain vital community vehicles, services, equipment, and facilities. We are pleased to partner with Bloomfield to ensure it has the transportation necessary to serve and protect its citizens.”
A $19,700 loan and $21,300 grant will be used to purchase a fully equipped police vehicle for the City of Bloomfield. The vehicle replaces an older vehicle which is no longer reliable or cost efficient. With the purchase of this vehicle, Bloomfield’s Police Department will be better equipped to serve the city’s 1,933 residents.
USDA is providing financing through Rural Development’s Community Facilities Direct Loan Program. The funding helps rural small towns, cities and communities make infrastructure improvements.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
Today’s announcement came as part of a larger statement Acting Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Joel Baxley in which he said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $68 million (PDF, 125 KB) to build or improve community facilities and essential services for nearly 715,000 rural residents in 13 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
“Having access to high-quality education, health care, public safety, community infrastructure and municipal services is crucial to achieving prosperity,” Baxley said. “Under the leadership of Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to partnering with rural community leaders to improve quality of life and economic development in rural America by building or modernizing the essential community facilities that provide these building-block opportunities.”
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force.
To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas.
Contact USDA Rural Development
Information on programs available through USDA Rural Development is available by visiting www.rd.usda.gov/mo or by calling (573) 876-0976.
USDA Rural Development has 24 offices across the state to serve the 2.2 million residents living in rural Missouri. Office locations include a State Office in Columbia, along with local offices in Butler, Charleston, Chillicothe, Clinton, Dexter, Eldon, Farmington, Higginsville, Houston, Kennett, Kirksville, Maryville, Mexico, Moberly, Neosho, New London, Poplar Bluff, Richmond, Rolla, Sedalia, Springfield, St. Joseph, Troy, and West Plains.