Kelly makes federal funding requests
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, submitted community project funding requests for the 2025 federal budget on Monday, June 3, which include more than $17.2 million in requests for projects in Butler County.
The Butler County-based projects are: $4 million for Summit Township’s sewer project; $1.6 million for a Route 19 waterline replacement in Cranberry Township; $7 million for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to realign Ekastown Road; $3.4 million for work on Chicora’s drinking water plant; and $1.2 million for apparatus replacement for Harmony Fire District.
According to a news release from Kelly’s office, the representative received more than 50 requests for funding this period.
“This funding will improve physical infrastructure throughout the district, including roads, waterlines and wastewater treatment facilities. We are once again boosting local fire departments,” Kelly said in the release. “After we secured nearly $50 million for Butler County’s Gateway 228 project, we are continuing our investment to expand one of the most-traveled roads in Western Pennsylvania.”
Kelly is requesting $3.4 million to upgrade the drinking water plant in Chicora, which serves about 1,100 people.
Certified water operator and Chicora Councilman Chuck Craig said the borough has been using the same plant since the 1930s, and it was last refurbished in the 1980s. For about three years now, borough officials have been planning to create a new water treatment facility, which will include water pumps, which Craig said may be more cost-effective than a renovation of the current plant.
He said the estimated cost of the project is about $4.2 million.
“We don't really have water quality issues at this point, but we have aging pumps,” Craig said. “The building itself is where an update is needed.”
Craig also said the water plant has been independent throughout its history, only obtaining small grants through the years. With construction tentatively scheduled to begin in 2027, Craig said the proposed federal funding would negate a big part of the expected cost.
“Municipal funds are tight; there is just no way we could undertake this at this point,” Craig said. “We're hoping this comes to fruition.”
In April, Kelly helped secure $1.25 million for the first phase of the Route 19 waterline replacement project underway. Now the congressman is looking for $1.6 million to help further the Cranberry Township task.
According to Cranberry Township manager Dan Santoro, the project is a multiphase one that likely will take a decade to complete and could cost up to $15 million by the time it is finished.
Approximately $1.66 million would go toward the next phase of the project and would likely replace 2,100 linear feet of 12-inch waterline and 2,300 linear feet of 8-inch waterline.
Santoro said he was appreciative of Kelly’s willingness to support infrastructure development in Butler County and Cranberry Township.
“He’s always been helpful to the community and making investments and reinvestments into the community,” Santoro said.
Along with its new $7.8 million firehouse, Harmony Fire District is looking to update and consolidate the crew’s fleet, according to Chief Scott Garing.
The funding request of $1.2 million would replace two apparatuses that are more than two decades old with a new custom vehicle that would serve as both an engine and rescue truck, Garing said.
He said Kelly played an essential role in helping secure funds for the new firehouse and has confidence the congressman will again be able to help the department, which serves Harmony and Zelienople boroughs as well as Lancaster and Jackson townships.
“Mike Kelly has been an unbelievable partner to the department,” Garing said. “His efforts have helped reduce the tax burden on residents and allowed us to free up funds to help with other operational needs.”
Harmony Mayor Cathy Rape said she is thrilled to have Kelly help the fire department.
“We definitely need this,” she said. “What Mike Kelly is doing is great, this lets our fire department concentrate its efforts into serving the community.”
Kelly is requesting $7 million for a state road project that would realign, construct and rehabilitate Route 228 — also known as Ekastown Road — in Clinton and Buffalo townships.
The project would widen the lanes and shoulders on Ekastown Road. Additionally, one horizontal curve will be realigned to lessen the severity adjacent to Glenn Drive, according to a project overview by PennDOT.
Work will also include utility relocation, drainage improvements, sign upgrades and pavement marking upgrades, which are planned to occur during the project, according to the overview.
Township officials are working to introduce public sewage into the township — a project that has been in the planning stages for years. The cost of the project was estimated to be around $16.5 million in 2021, and the township already has acquired some grant funding to help pay for the project, from sources such as PENNVEST and the Community Development Block Grant.
This project would construct a new sewage treatment plant in the township, two pump stations, 29 grinder pumps, and thousands of feet of underground piping and sewers.
Township secretary Roxann Stickney said this is the first time the township has submitted an application for funding to Kelly’s office, in hopes that federal funding would make a substantial dent in the cost of the project.
