Jan 16, 2015 2 min read

In mid-January, especially in Washington County, LSA could stand for lotsa snow anticipated.

But on a higher and more practical local level, it is an acronym for the county’s annual Local Share Account hearings, which will take place Tuesday and Wednesday in the public meeting room of Courthouse Square, Washington.

A total of 68 applicants will present their cases for funding from the 2015 program. The money comes from gambling revenue at The Meadows Casino from April 1, 2014, through March 31, 2015, and goes toward economic and community development projects countywide. The Redevelopment Authority of Washington County administers the program.

Each organization requests a certain dollar amount, and must have secured funding from other sources that equals or exceeds the requested figure. At least one representative from each of the 68 bodies has three minutes to present a briefing before the LSA review committee, usually composed of 11 members.

The committee determines the recipients and the amounts each will get and forwards the recommendations to the county commissioners for approval or rejection. The list then will be sent to the state Department of Community and Economic Development, with the funds being distributed about six months later.

As usual, demand outstrips supply. Applicants are seeking a total of $18.7 million, but about $6.5 million is available in this year’s funding round, according to Jeff Kotula, committee chairman who also is president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency.

The county’s LSA process, Kotula added, “is considered one of the best in the state in awarding gaming amounts. We’re very proud of that.”

Hearings are scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday.