Liberty gets grant for roads

Staff report

LIBERTY

The township is going to receive $224,842 in state funding to put toward its 2015 road-paving program.

The township will combine that money with the $266,000 generated by its road levy to pave three roads: The Tibbetts-Wick extension, Ohio Trail and Mansell Drive, said township Administrator Pat Ungaro.

“By people supporting the levy, they got $225,000 more in free money,” Ungaro said.

The township narrowly passed a road tax in May after defeating it in November 2013.

Ungaro has said that the state looks more favorably on communities that have matching funds for projects when it comes to giving out its grants for infrastructure.

This year’s resurfacing of four roads was completed with a grant the township got last year and money from a tax anticipation loan it will pay back over five years at 2.7 percent interest.

The township waited to repave the roads despite getting the grant because it did not have a local share to match it.

Those roads were Hadley Avenue, Roosevelt Drive, Northview Boulevard and part of Ravine Drive.

The township’s share of the 2015 road resurfacing project is $351,675. The total project cost is $576,517.