By Journal Staff

ONTONAGON — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday that a total of $3 million is being awarded to fund infrastructure and public safety enhancements in 11 municipalities, including the village of Ontonagon. Ontonagon was awarded $216,287 for water system enhancement through replacement of water meters.

“The village of Ontonagon is excited to receive (Financially Distressed Cities, Villages and Townships) funding to upgrade our water metering system,” William DuPont, Ontonagon village manager, said in a statement. “We anticipate that our entire community will benefit from these upgrades which will streamline water billing while considerably reducing labor costs. In turn, our resources can be utilized to better serve our residents in numerous other areas.”

For fiscal year 2022, the Michigan Legislature appropriated $2.5 million for the program, with a $500,000 carryover from the previous fiscal year.

“Today’s grants will help protect public safety and enhance infrastructure in nearly a dozen communities across Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement. “As a former prosecutor, public safety is a core issue for me and I want families feel safe at home in the streets. And as a governor focused on the kitchen-table issues, I want high-quality roads, bridges, and water infrastructure so people can get to where they need to go safely and have access to clean, safe drinking water. The projects being funded today will help us keep getting things done for our hardworking people and resilient communities. Together, we will protect public safety and improve infrastructure, building on our growing economic momentum as we keep moving Michigan forward.”

The Financially Distressed Cities, Villages and Townships Grant Program has a $2 million cap per municipality and grants are awarded based on applications submitted by the municipality.

“The Michigan Department of Treasury looks forward to working with our local partners to find projects that could help move a community toward financial stability,” said state Treasurer Rachael Eubanks in a statement. “Our team will ensure these grants are provided to our local communities as expeditiously as possible.”