Vernon Alabama Receives A Big Check

VERNON, Ala. (WCBI ) – The City of Vernon Alabama receives a big check this week.

Thursday Alabama Governor Kay Ivy awarded more than $10.5 million, in Community Development Block Grants, to 28 regional towns and cities.

Thursday, representatives of the City of Vernon, Alabama, took a trip to Montgomery to pick up a big check.

“It’s really a neat experience for us to go down and let us showcase our town and say hey we’re from Vernon Alabama, thank you for the money and this is what we plan to do with it,” said Vernon Mayor Glenn Crawford.

The State of Alabama cut Vernon a $350,000 check. The funds were made available by the U.S. Department Of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Alabama Department Of Economic and Community Affairs.

Crawford says this kind of money can put the city years ahead of schedule.

“The importance of a grant like this to a city like ours is huge. If we were to work that into our budget it would take us eight or 10 years to get that kind of money put back where we could come in and spend it,” said Crawford.

Long time Vernon resident Tim Thompson says this will be a much needed upgrade for the current, decades old pipes.

“It is going to be nice. I’ve lived here about seven years closing in on eight. The infrastructure and the water and sewer definitely older here. Smaller town and finances are always kind of hard to get so it’s going to be a big plus,” said Thompson.

The grant is confined to developing one area of the city. That includes the housing projects, the bowling alley the old garment plant and the bus barn on highway 18.

In order to obtain the grant the city had to make a match.

It was a 90/10 grant. We only have to put up 10 percent of the money against the grant funds to receive them and so we are able to do about $400,000 worth of repairs at about a $35,000 of $40,000 expense for the city which is phenomenal,” said Crawford.

Thompson says he is thankful to the state for caring enough about smaller communities to lend a helping hand.

“Which is a lot for a town this size. Vernon isn’t that big. I’ve lived in bigger cities in the north west Seattle and places like that and it’s a lot different. For a small town to get a big boost like that and to be able to fix things up and make it better for the you know the citizens of the community. It’s going to be a great thing,” said Crawford.

Vernon was among 27 others cities and towns eligible for state funds.