Last week Milam County received more great news regarding our quest for grant funding. The Texas General Land Office advised us that the county will receive $5.8 million in infrastructure funding. The funding is generally referred to as “mitigation” and the uses include transportation. This brings our grant and funding totals to an unheard-of amount of $45 million for 2021. This is more than the county has ever received in its entire history!
We hope to use most of the $5.8 million GLO infrastructure funds to repair our county roads. There are 800 miles of county roads, most of which are gravel, which require weekly maintenance. We have about 200 miles of “chip sealed” roads that require less maintenance, but many are in need of repair. About 35% of our county budget is dedicated to road and bridge maintenance and repair, but it is never enough. The additional $5.8 million will allow us to make a lot of needed repairs.
Thus far in 2021 the cities of Buckholts, Cameron, Milano and Rockdale have received a total of $27.3 million for infrastructure repairs, which has never happened in the past. Milam County received a $4.8 million grant for the renovation of the new administration annex; $4.8 million pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act for COVID recovery; $5.8 million for infrastructure; $600,000 for emergency management, $900,000 for the Health Department and several other smaller grants.
In addition, we have applied for many other grants that will make the county a better place to live and work, including a $1 million grant to develop a needed flood plain map of the county. A flood plain map will help ensure that new growth in the county is not in an area that floods.
We are also working on a massive internet grant, to provide fiber optic internet to Buckholts, Cameron, Gause, Milano, Rockdale and Thorndale. Fiber optics provide the fastest and most reliable internet speeds and is essential to a fiber backbone for the county.
We are proud that we have been able to secure these grants and funding for the county. Clearly, the latest funding will make our county roads and transportation better.
In addition, the money brings jobs, spending and tax revenue to the county. For example, this week we have several people in the county performing an internet assessment, in conjunction with our internet grant application, who are staying in local hotels, eating in local restaurants and buying locally.
Rest assured we will continue to work hard to qualify for every grant that is available to ensure that Milam County is the best place to live and work in Texas.
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