New administration puts stop to grant money

(Edited with a clarification from the office of Mariannette Miller-Meeks.)

MARENGO — Federal money that would have helped Iowa County with a paving project will not be available under the new presidential administration, Iowa County Attorney Nick Amelon told county supervisors last week.

A year ago, Iowa County applied for a federal grant, issued through the office of Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, to help fund the paving of V Avenue from 320th Street (F67) to the Washington-Iowa County line.

“Iowa County has wanted to do this for years and didn’t have the money,” said County Engineer Nick Amelon in March of 2024.

With $75 million available to her, Miller-Meeks could award money to as many as 15 projects in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District through the Community Project Funding Grant, said Amelon.

The County Engineer applied for money to pave part of W21, also known as V Avenue.

“I don’t know if they would fund the whole 5 ½ miles,” Amelon said in March of last year, and the county’s match for that project would be about $2 million.

Paving the south three miles would cost only $3 million, Amelon said. Iowa County might have a shot at getting $2 million for that project.

The county would have to come up with a half million dollar match out of the farm-to-market account.

“We can meet that,” said Amelon.

Several months ago, Amelon received word from Miller-Meeks that Iowa County had been approved for the grant. But now that’s on hold.

Amelon said it’s common when power in Washington, D.C. changes from one political party to another for the new administration to cancel what the old administration has done, rebrand it and grant the same money under their own program.

If that happens, said Amelon, Iowa County still has its paperwork, and Miller-Meeks is still in office, so Iowa County has a shot at getting the money eventually.

Another road project will get underway soon. Iowa County Supervisors approved a contract with Pelling for chip sealing on three miles of G Avenue at Lake Iowa.

Amelon said that portion of the road didn’t survive the winter as well as he’d hoped it would.

The road needs to be chip sealed every three to five years, Amelon said, and it hasn’t been done since 2019. The county has pushed it back as long as it can, he said.

Amelon said he will have to move money around in his budget to find the $166,000 for the project, and the county might be able to save some money by providing their own flaggers.

Clarification from the office of Mariannette Miller-Meeks

We wanted to clarify a few things: we don’t know where the $75 million figure came from. Representatives aren’t allocated a “fund” to disperse. Community Project Funding amounts vary each year.

Also, proposed projects are not grants. It is an annual appropriation that needs to be passed through the appropriations committees and by both chambers of Congress. The Iowa County project was reviewed and submitted by Rep. Miller-Meeks and it was passed by the Appropriations Committee and the by the House.

Unfortunately, last year’s Community Project Funding was blocked by then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats. It is disappointing and Congresswoman Miller-Meeks personally called the contact persons to explain the situation. She will continue to fight for these vital projects that will benefit and protect IA-01.

Respectfully,

Anthony Cruz

Communications Director

Rep. Miller-Meeks