CROTHERSVILLE — Converting to LED streetlights throughout Crothersville will provide several benefits.

With the town council choosing to pay the lump sum payment of $90,907.57 to replace 194 lights, the town will start gaining money back on the investment in less than three years.

It also will be one-third less consumption and one-third less expense to the town to maintain and operate the lights.

“So that’s where the less than three years we’ll actually start seeing a benefit from that changeover (comes from),” Councilman Jamy Greathouse said.

The new lights also will be more aesthetically pleasing, Councilman Aaron Mays said.

“Hopefully, less issues with the flickering and the coming on and coming off and a lot of the other issues we have,” Greathouse said.

Considering those benefits, the town council unanimously approved to have Duke Energy convert the existing lights to LED.

The council first discussed the project during its Nov. 2 meeting, but after a brief discussion, it was tabled until the Dec. 7 meeting so the average expense for usage versus the estimated savings could be determined. Greathouse also wanted to justify paying the lump sum.

At this month’s meeting, Greathouse said he learned there would be a 63% decrease in the monthly usage expense, and the town would have a 32-month payment.

“So less than three years, we would get our money back on that investment,” he said. “Then after that 32 months, all savings would be a net savings on it moving forward with those lights.”

That prompted him to make a motion to approve the town paying the lump sum with County Economic Development Income Tax funds. Originally earmarked for economic development expenses, CEDIT revenues can now be spent for many general governmental purposes. Counties, cities and towns are eligible to receive CEDIT revenues.

Clerk-Treasurer Danieta Foster said town attorney Matt Lorenzo will have to draft a resolution, and the council approved spending money from CEDIT to pay for the streetlight upgrades.

Foster said the lights will be installed sometime in 2022. The project will be split into four sections.

“It’s going to skip around town by the way they were put in, so it’s going to take awhile to map it out,” she said.