Sequatchie, Rhea, Bledsoe, and Roane County are ThreeStar certified and have been awarded a ThreeStar grant. Sequatchie County was awarded roughly $33,000, while Rhea, Bledsoe, and Roane County were each awarded $50,000 from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
ThreeStar programs focus on best practices in five key community areas including jobs and economic development, fiscal strength and efficient government, public safety, health, education and workforce development.
"This ThreeStar grant funding is welcoming news for our communities across House District 31,” said Rep. Ron Travis. “This important grant funding from TNECD will help support programs and initiatives that will improve outcomes within our communities and strengthen our local economy. I am humbled to have supported our local leaders in securing the ThreeStar grant funding and I look forward to seeing the many benefits it will provide for our area.”
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 four percent discount for eligible projects on both the business development and community development ability-to-pay calculations (Community Development Block Grants CDBG 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.
Selected counties will participate in the TNECD Governor’s Convention on Oct. 25 where they will be recognized.