Scott Wartman

swartman@enquirer.com

The 11-mile trail on Northern Kentucky's riverfront known as Riverfront Commons will take longer to complete after Gov. Matt Bevin vetoed $300,000 over the next two years for the project.

Jack Moreland, president of economic development agency Southbank Partners, learned of the veto on Thursday. Southbank Partners has led the effort to build the trail that will stretch along the Ohio River from Fort Thomas to Ludlow, going through Dayton, Newport and Covington.

"It's a significant setback," Moreland said. "We have great momentum going on. It's disappointing."

The project has been built piecemeal as money becomes available. Southbank Partners has received $300,000 from the last two state budgets. It has gone toward archaeological studies on the riverfront, matching grants for Red Bike stations and for "Developer's Day" where Southbank takes developers on a tour of Northern Kentucky's riverfront. It's up to the various cities on how it's spent.

"To do an archaeological study only costs $30,000," Moreland said. "A lot of cities don't have disposable income to come up with $30,000. It's going to be very difficult."

Money has already been set aside for large portions of the trail in Ludlow, Dayton and Covington this summer. After that, progress will slow, Moreland said.

Bevin, in his message for his vetoes of economic development money, explained his veto by writing, "With the Commonwealth facing significant fiscal constraints, agencies must retain maximum administrative flexibility to effectively deploy agency resources."