CRANBERRY TWP — The township has decided to opt in to eligibility for Community Development Block Grants through Butler County as rules around applying for the funds change due to the Butler’s reclassification as an urban county.

At the Sept. 3 meeting, supervisors voted 4-0 to authorize township manager Dan Santoro to submit a cooperation agreement and letter of intent.

Supervisors Chairman Bruce Hezlep was absent at the meeting.

With its population crossing 200,000, Butler County qualifies for urban county status and is now set to receive CDBG funds directly from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

County commissioners voted in favor of establishing the status on Aug. 26. The county is awaiting HUD certification. If approved, the county will receive annual funding of $1.4 million — about $500,000 more than what it currently does.

“The county will have a greater allocation with more flexibility,” Santoro said.

He added participating in the program will create new opportunities for the township.

A map featuring a reestablished boundary between Jackson and Cranberry townships, shown as a dashed line, was presented at a joint meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. Submitted photo

The board also voted 4-0 to approve a joint ordinance establishing a new, defined municipal boundary between Cranberry and Jackson townships.

Officials from both townships had presented the proposed, up-to-date boundary during a joint meeting on Aug. 19. The new boundary is meant to address a lack of clarity about the boundary lines between the municipalities.

Jackson Township will vote on the joint ordinance during its Sept. 17 board of supervisors meeting.