COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing is awarding $129,913.99 in grants to 51 Ohio cemeteries through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Cemetery Grant Fund. These properties require special care and attention. Each year, the Department of Commerce provides grants to Ohio cemeteries to keep them inviting, safe, and clean for visitors.
“We’re pleased to provide financial relief to some of our registered cemeteries so they can make necessary improvements. We want cemeteries to be welcoming and safe for all visitors,” said Director of Commerce Sherry Maxfield.
In Delaware County, Green Mound Cemetery in Brown Township will receive $4,850 to repair and reset monuments, while Fairview Memorial Park in Berlin Township will receive $13,000 to repair and reset monuments.
The Cemetery Grant Fund, signed into law as House Bill 168, became effective Oct. 29, 2018. Nonprofit cemeteries properly registered with the division may apply for the grant, which is funded by $1 of every $2.50 from burial permit fees received by the division. The funds are to be used for exceptional maintenance of cemetery grounds or training for cemetery personnel. All recipients are required to sign and complete their award agreement before funding is distributed.
“The funds provide cemetery care including road improvements, additional parking, mausoleum repairs, resetting monuments and headstones on cemetery grounds, tree removal and updated fencing structures as necessary,” said Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing Superintendent Anne Petit. “Since we regulate cemeteries it is important to us that they are respected and cared for as the final resting place for those who have passed on before us. “
It was a very competitive year and cemeteries that did not receive funding this year are encouraged to reapply next year.
