York Town News
State offering grants for regional initiatives
AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services announced today that $500,000 is available from the Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Local and Regional Services to support communities in developing joint ventures to deliver services.Grants are available through a competitive application process to encourage innovative, collaborative efforts that result in property taxes savings, efficiencies or improved delivery of government services.
The grant program also seeks to develop projects from which other Maine communities may learn and follow, as well as to explore innovative projects and partnerships that will serve models for the future.
"These grant funds are intended to encourage and support cooperation across and along all lines of government and to foster relationships that will allow collaborations that benefit not only the participating governmental units, but also the citizens of Maine," said Rebecca M. Wyke, commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.
Application information and materials can be downloaded at: http://www.maine.gov/dafs/fund.htm.
Municipalities, counties and regional government subdivisions are eligible to apply.
Applications must be delivered to the Division of Purchases, Burton M. Cross Building, 4th floor, 9 State House Station, 111 Sewall St., Augusta, ME 04333-0009 no later than 2 p.m. local time on Monday, Sept. 18.
In 2005, $1 million in grant funds was distributed to 26 projects across the state involving over 121 municipalities. A wide range of projects was funded, from the consolidation of dispatch centers to the development of a municipal services group to provide shared staff among municipalities - including code enforcement, assessing, planning, engineering and purchasing.
The program is administered by the Department and State Planning Office. For more, visit www.maine.gov/spo.
