WILMINGTON — Each township in Clinton County will get $5,000 after county commissioners this week authorized the $65,000 distribution.
The townships have needs, and the commissioners feel it’s important to assist the townships to serve those residents, said Clinton County Commissioners President Kerry R. Steed.
“We wanted to provide each one of the townships monies where they could use them throughout their townships for their constituents in any way they saw fit as long as it has to do with the health, safety and wellness of the folks living there,” Steed said.
All that the boards of township trustees need to do to be provided the $5,000 is apply for the funds.
An example of an eligible township project for the funds is the removal of Emerald Ash Borer-infested ash trees that are close to a roadway and could blow over in a storm and block the road, hence qualifying as a safety project, Steed said.
He added that this action to widely disperse funds to all of the county’s 13 townships will strengthen the relationships between the townships’ and the county’s levels of government, “making sure we’re all part of the same team.”
The townships will still have the opportunity to make a pitch for the first cycle of Legacy Fund grants to be awarded this spring by the Clinton County Legacy Fund Committee.
According to the first-year spending plan for Legacy Fund grants, 60 percent of allocated dollars will go to local governments. Examples of local governments are the local townships, incorporated villages, fire and EMS districts, and the city of Wilmington.
In alphabetical order, the townships of Clinton County are Adams, Chester, Clark, Green, Jefferson, Liberty, Marion, Richland, Union, Vernon, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson Townships.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
