Lt. Governor Skillman presents City with $990,000 grant funding
Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman visited City Hall Thursday morning to present the city with an infrastructure grant of $990,606 for flooding and drainage issues.

Mayor David Bower said this is the first phase in the city's efforts to solve flooding problems, especially on Water Street. He said he has been working on ways to help alleviate flooding issues since day one of his administration and it is an ongoing project.

Skillman said 82 of Indiana's 92 counties were declared disaster areas in 2008 and the state has distributed funds to help those counties deal with the repercussions.

"I commend you for making a great case for the dollars," she said.

Skillman, who is from Bedford, said she always enjoys coming to Southern Indiana. "Thanks for asking me to come down and check on your progress," she said, adding that her history with helping Washington County flood issues goes back to her time in the legislature.

Skillman said the economy is looking up and they saw a little glimmer of hope in last month's revenue report. She said the State of Indiana is working on building a solid foundation so that when the national economy recovers, Indiana is ready to surge forward.

“We are fiscally and economically sound in this state,” she said. She said because of the stability, Indiana is able to share federal funds at the state level. She said not all states are able to do this and many are holding onto it themselves.

“You have a great quality of life in Salem and Washington County,” she said. “You have a lot to be proud of here."

The mayor thanked Skillman for visiting. "You have been a great friend to Salem and Washington County and we appreciate it," he said.

M. Spaulding