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USDA Funds Support Public Safety, Road Maintenance for Ohio Townships

Name
Heather Hartley
City
Columbus
Release Date

USDA Ohio Rural Development State Director David L. Hall today confirmed two Ohio townships will benefit from a total of $185,600 in funding designed to help ensure rural communities have access to modern essential services.

   “Public services such as fire suppression – sometimes taken for granted in more urban locales – are especially important in rural areas where highly-skilled volunteers often play a starring role,” said Hall. “This is where Ohio’s township-level government really shines, and where Rural Development does some of its most important work to improve quality of life. We are pleased to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those who help maintain the very backbone of rural infrastructure.” 

   In Ohio, this round of Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant funding supports:

  • The purchase of a fire truck to help battle grass fires in Henry County’s Monroe Township. The $110,600 combination loan and grant impacts the Monroe Township Fire Department, which supports more than 1,140 rural residents.
  • The purchase of a truck, snow plow and spreader to help maintain more than 50 miles of roads in Monroe County’s Center Township. The $75,000 combination loan and grant supports the township’s 3,640 residents.

   The Ohio projects are among 41 nationwide announced recently by Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett, with more than $17 million targeted toward supporting essential services for rural communities in 22 states.

   The Community Facilities Direct Loan Program helps rural areas purchase, construct or improve essential facilities. An essential community facility is one that provides a necessary service for the orderly development or operation of a rural community, such as schools, libraries, health care facilities, day care centers and infrastructure improvements.

   More than 100 types of projects are eligible for USDA Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally and state-recognized Native American tribes. Applicants and projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. Loan amounts have ranged from $10,000 to $165 million.

   For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.