BEATRICE – The economic development agency that serves Gage County has received county approval of a new three-year public funding agreement.
The Gage County Board Wednesday approved the plan, which extends a county share of funding from July 1st of this year through June 30th, 2024.
The agreement calls for an annual county share of the funding totaling $150,000, over each of the three years. That’s the same funding level included in the past agreement. Gage Area Growth Enterprise is reimbursed up to that amount, for operating expenses.
NGage also draws similar funding from the City of Beatrice, which will soon consider the same three-year agreement. NGage also has private support through business memberships and contributions.
On Wednesday, county supervisors also approved a major equipment purchase for the county’s highway department. The board approved the purchase of two 2021 John Deere motor graders from Murphy Tractor and Equipment, at a total cost of $495,136.
The county is trading in two older machines. Three companies submitted bids for the units, but the Murphy bid, county officials say, was the only one that met all bid specifications. The money for the purchase comes from the county’s road department budget.
