FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): There’s more time for an area group to decide how to spend $42-million.

The Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority has four years, not two, to authorize spending on Regional Cities funding awarded in December. That’s according to the News-Sentinel, which reports the board in charge of spending the cash learned the news from their attorney Tuesday.

The authority was warned by John Sampson of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership that just because there are four years to authorize spending, they shouldn’t wait that long to get programs moving, especially if they want to ask for a grant renewal later, because the renewal process will likely be highly competitive.

Northeast Indiana was one of three regions chosen to receive $42-million in Regional Cities grants last December, joining the South Bend and Evansville areas.