More than $2.75 million in coal severance funds has been allocated to projects in Harlan County for the 2008-2009 fiscal year for improvements in water and sewer and upgrades in public safety, health care and recreation.

Harlan County Judge-Executive Joe Grieshop said the coal severance projects have passed through the Kentucky House of Representatives and Senate and are currently awaiting the governor’s approval. Some projects that were approved by the House have since been removed by the Senate.

Grieshop said he was pleased with the amount of coal severance funds the county will be receiving but added that he was concerned with the lack of funding for city governments throughout the county.

“All of the cities are hurting very badly, and they look to county government to help them,” Grieshop said. “They will have a tough time making it through the next biennium.”

Grieshop said he would like to see some of the $316,000 allocated to adventure tourism used to help the city governments.

“The adventure tourism industry is stable. I think some of that money is more needed by the cities,” he said.

Grieshop said he was pleased with the funding for water and sewer extensions throughout the county.

“These extensions will help us to improve the quality of life for residents throughout the county,” Grieshop said. “There are some people in the county that don’t have access to maintained water lines. These extensions will extend water and sewer services to the outer parts of the county.”

Projects benefiting from the funding include:

-- $316,000 to adventure tourism;

-- $1,000,000 to the Black Mountain Utility District for a water line extension project;

-- $50,000 to the Cawood Water District for a water line extension to Smith;

-- $150,000 for repairs to the old courthouse building;

-- $50,000 to the Cumberland Senior Citizens Center;

-- $450,000 for bonded indebtedness of the detention center sewer project;

-- $300,000 to the Green Hills Water District for water line extensions;

-- $15,000 to the Harlan County 4-H Club;

-- $15,000 to the Harlan County Public Library;

-- $75,000 to The Laurels for debt retirement;

-- $20,000 to rescue squads for medical/rescue equipment;

-- $450,000 for the Tri-Cities water line extension project;

-- $60,000 to the Tri-Cities Little League for lights;

-- $50,000 to various county parks for equipment and improvements;

-- $50,000 to various fire departments for equipment, renovations and improvements.