The state is setting up a program to help local communities handle a gusher of state and federal money.
Local governments will receive nearly two-billion dollars from President Biden’s pandemic relief bill and Governor Holcomb’s new regional economic development fund. The Office of Community and Rural Affairs has enlisted experts from Ball State, Purdue, I-U and Ivy Tech to work with a dozen local governments to help them identify spending projects with lasting impact.
David Terrell, executive director of Ball State’s Indiana Communities Institute, says it’s tempting for cities and towns to throw money at splashy projects with a short shelf life. With an unprecedented pool of money available, he says it’s important to step back and think strategically about projects that can have a generational impact.
The Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP) will steer communities toward crafting proposals on health, broadband connectivity, economic development, and quality of life.
Applications for the first of three phases of the program open September 6.
