Harrisburg, SD—U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) toured Harrisburg with city officials to discuss the city’s ongoing economic development plans. Harrisburg Mayor Reed Ramstad attended and a group of city commissioners, city planning supervisors and engineers joined Johnson on the tour.
“Maintaining Harrisburg’s infrastructure is essential for the success of the city and its residents. I know that a lot of hard work and local leadership is needed for each and every one of the projects we have seen on our tour today,” Johnson said. “City leaders have ambitious plans to advance infrastructure and keep growth on track. I look forward to continuing my work at the federal level to help Mayor Ramstad and local leaders continue to pursue plans to improve the community.”
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Johnson secured $30 million dollars in the Senate version of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System after President Bush zeroed out funding for the project in the Administration’s proposed budget. This funding will help keep construction moving forward so that Lincoln County will have the water infrastructure it needs as the population of the county continues to grow.
Johnson remains committed to working to fund projects in rapidly growing areas like Harrisburg and Lincoln County. Recognizing his role at the federal level, Johnson proposed a plan to advance economic development at the federal level called the Hometown Prosperity Plan.
Over the last few years, Johnson has worked to implement that plan by supporting the four-pillar agenda it sets forth to advance South Dakota's economy. The four pillars, or strategies, include "Promoting Partnerships," "Emphasizing Entrepreneurship," "Investing in the Public Good," and "Protecting Pocketbooks." The full plan includes specific actions related to each strategy and can be downloaded from http://johnson.senate.gov.
This event was part of Johnson’s district work period tour of South Dakota which will include visits to 19 different cities.