INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Five Indiana cities are in the running to receive millions of dollars to help encourage economic development.  

Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann has announced that this year's Stellar Communities finalists are Crawfordsville, Decatur, Marion, Dunkirk and North Liberty.

Ellspermann says that more than a dozen cities and towns applied for the designation, and this is the first time finalists were separated into two divisions based on population size.

The Stellar Communities program helps communities achieve long-term strategic development goals by creating investment plans, promoting partnerships, and implementing solutions to local challenges in key areas of the community.

The initiative is operated by the lieutenant governor's office and funded by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the Office of Community and Rural Affairs and the Indiana Department of Transportation.