“Hoosier Crossroads Tour” will focus on local government, state programs
INDIANAPOLIS – Lt. Governor Becky Skillman today announced plans for her “Hoosier Crossroads Tour,” a 92-county tour over the next 18 months. The statewide tour kicks off Tuesday in Jackson County and will include working sessions with local government leaders and visits to community projects that were funded by agencies she directs.
“In the last seven years, I have been dedicated to visiting every county and being a voice for all of Indiana. I have seen the needs and helped with initiatives to meet the challenges. This 92-county tour will help formulate the best way to make an even greater economic impact on our communities,” Skillman said.
Beginning tomorrow in Jackson County, Lt. Governor Skillman will meet with local elected officials in a structured discussion. The primary question will be, “How can we work together to better serve Hoosiers?”
The discussion will include possible ways the state can help local units of government deliver services more effectively and efficiently, in addition to ways to boost the local economy. These meetings will occur in approximately 30 counties between now and the end of the calendar year. Lt. Governor Skillman plans to make recommendations to Governor Daniels prior to the 2012 legislative session.
While traveling, Skillman also plans to check on local projects that have received funding from state agencies. Skillman oversees the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the Office of Energy Development, the Office of Tourism Development, and the State Department of Agriculture. These agencies primarily aid communities through financial investments and other programs.
These agencies have administered more than 1 billion in funding assistance for local projects, such as housing developments, local governments’ capital projects, and energy initiatives.
“We have invested time, effort, and money in communities across the state, and it’s important for me to see firsthand what type of return we are getting on our investment,” Skillman said.
In Jackson County, she will also cut the ribbon on the Medora Covered Bridge, the longest historic covered bridge in the country. This was a partnership between the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Jackson County Commissioners. She will also visit the Tim Burton family of Maplewood Farms. Burton is one of the entrepreneurs named as an Indiana Artisan and growing his business through the program support and branding launched by Skillman.
The complete schedule of counties has not been finalized, but stops in July will include Miami County on July 21, Montgomery County on July 26, and Wayne County on July 28.
Hoosiers can track where the lieutenant governor will be and follow a blog about the tour by visiting www.lg.in.gov.
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Lt. Governor Becky Skillman oversees the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the Office of Energy Development, the Office of Tourism Development, and the State Department of Agriculture.
To receive e-mail updates from Lt. Governor Skillman, sign up at http://www.in.gov/lg/subscribe.htm
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