Washington D.C. – Several Central Alabama communities, including Jacksonville, Etowah County, and Cleburne County, are set to receive federal funding through Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills passed by Congress, according to an announcement from U.S. Senator Katie Britt.
Senator Britt, a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, helped secure more than $12.9 million for Alabama priorities through the passage of three FY26 funding measures: the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act; the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; and the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies (EWD) Appropriations Act.
Among the local allocations, the Jacksonville Police Department is slated to receive $287,000 for a law enforcement vehicle. In Etowah County, funding includes $300,000 for a patrol and dive boat for the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office, while the City of Gadsden will receive $2.5 million for drainage infrastructure upgrades. The Cleburne County Sheriff’s Department is set to receive $435,000 for law enforcement vehicles.
“I was proud to advocate for and secure several critical Central Alabama priorities in the recent package of funding bills passed by Congress,” Britt said. “This funding strengthens our inland waterway infrastructure, supports our hardworking law enforcement, invests in our incredible higher education institutions, and upgrades essential water infrastructure. It also reflects the commitment I made when I joined the Appropriations Committee—to fight every day to return your hard-earned taxpayer dollars home to Alabama.”
Additional Alabama Funding Highlights
Beyond Jacksonville, Etowah County,, and Cleburne County, the FY26 appropriations package includes funding for a wide range of projects across the state:
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$2.9 million for deepening studies in Alabama rivers, including the Black Warrior and Tombigbee Rivers
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$550,000 for maintenance and dredging of Luxapallila Creek
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$2.5 million for small boat access dredging in the Tennessee-Tombigbee and Black Warrior River systems
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$100,000 for the City of Roanoke for radio and communication infrastructure
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$250,000 for the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office for an emergency response boat
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$400,000 for the Pell City Police Department for public safety cameras
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$750,000 for the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for implementation of RapidDNA testing
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$155,000 for the District Attorney’s Office of the 25th Judicial District for a law enforcement vehicle
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$135,000 for the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office for fire alarms and cameras at the Pickens County Jail
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$250,000 for the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement vehicles
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$128,000 for the City of Montevallo for a law enforcement vehicle
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$300,000 for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for an armored law enforcement vehicle
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$1 million for the University of Alabama for equipment upgrades related to the detection and prevention of aquaculture mislabeling
In addition to these targeted investments, Senator Britt team shared that she supported more than $250 million statewide for economic development and infrastructure initiatives, including funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority. The package also includes $8 million for the U.S. Forest Service to acquire land within the Talladega National Forest.
The FY26 CJS bill further provides $40 million for the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH), which is housed at the National Water Center in Tuscaloosa and focuses on addressing water-related challenges nationwide.
