Local mayors say education and mass transit are two areas they’re glad to see getting more funding in the new two-year state budget passed this week.
Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski (D) is especially pleased with the education funding.
“I hope everyone understands the importance- the critical importance of K-12 education in building the strong communities in the strong state of Indiana. So, I am pleased to see that education funding was increased, and I hope that you know, to continue to look for opportunities to increase funding for education. It’s just absolutely critical,” Roswarski says.
And, indeed, the Lafayette School Corporation is slated to get a two million dollar budget increase in each of the next two years.
Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton (R) says he’s still examining the budget, but adds his city is slated to have one of its biggest wishes fulfilled if funding for Amtrak service is continued.
“Certainly getting the, you know, the budget through with the money for the Hoosier State Corridor intact, I think was a huge win for all of our communities, and really for the entire state,” Barton says.
The state plans to pay for Hoosier State Line service by using money from the same tax amnesty program that’ll fund Governor Mike Pence’s Regional Cities Initiative. The first $84 million collected goes to regional cities and the next $6 million to INDOT for the train service.
