Montgomery County Commissioners had a very important message to convey to the public at their bimonthly meeting — the state of the county is very strong.

Commission Chair Val Arkoosh spoke of the county’s financial health during the “State of the County” and remarked  that the county ended the  fiscal year 2018 with a surplus, a general fund reserve of $88.5 million — more than 20 percent of the overall budget — an upgrade to a triple A bond rating from Moody’s — the highest attainable, and the adoption of a 2019 budget with no tax increase for the second consecutive year, writes Oscar Gamble in the Pottstown Mercury.

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The Montco 2040 implementation grant program  has disbursed $3.9 million through 41 grants since 2016, Arkoosh noted, adding that municipalities have until March 1 to apply for a share of the $1.5 million in grant funding available in the program’s 2019 cycle.The Lafayette Street Extension Project, currently underway in Norristown is expected to significantly ease congestion along Main Street, Ridge Pike, and Conshohocken Road and draw visitors and development to the county seat, Arkoosh said.

And the King of Prussia Rail Project, which will extend Septa’s Norristown High Speed Line to King of Prussia is expected to generate millions of square feet of new development and tens of thousands of jobs over the next 20 years while reducing vehicle miles traveled by 18 million mile per year.

To read the complete story click here.

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