White County receives $50,000 from TN ThreeStar program

Funds will be used for Upper Cumberland Regional Airport and Biz Foundry

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 State Senator Paul Bailey, of White County, announced this week that White County is one of five counties in Tennessee State District 15 that has received grants from the ThreeStar program.

According to Bailey, White, Cumberland, Jackson, and Overton counties each received $50,000, while Putnam County received $20,000.

The funding will be used for a variety of local community development initiatives, including education, workforce development, health, tourism, small business, entrepreneurship, and economic development programs, among others that were prioritized through a strategic planning process.

According to Chad Marcum, White County finance director, $25,000 of White County’s funds will be used to assist Upper Cumberland Regional Airport in receiving certification for commercial air traffic. 

“The aim is to hire a consulting firm that can help navigate this complex application process with the federal government,” Marcum said.

The remaining $25,000 will be used to assist the Biz Foundry, in Sparta, in offering small business and entrepreneur training courses to White County small business owners.  The main focus will be on marketing, managing growth, and business basics.

Certification in the ThreeStar program is based on annual documentation of local activity, evaluation and biennial participation in coordinated local stakeholder goal, and activity planning.

Participating counties (and cities in these counties) will be eligible for a 4 percent discount (for eligible projects) on both the business development and community development ability-to-pay calculations (Community Development Block Grant and FastTrack) each year the county fulfills the requirements of the ThreeStar program. CDBG also provides a bonus based on ThreeStar participation up to $25,000.   

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