Marshall County Commissioner Stan Klotz asked the Marshall County Council members for additional funds to increase this year’s road program.
He and Highway Superintendent Jason Peters reviewed the funds in previous years and the current status of the funds with the county council Monday morning and even with the implementation of the gas tax, Klotz said the county is receiving less money than last year in the Motor Vehicle Highway and Local Roads and Streets funds.
“The bill, when they passed it in 2017, it was officially 2018 funding, and they set a base line for the increase because they put more money in that pot,” said Klotz. “The problem is, when they went to 2019 they decreased that increase, that baseline, by 30 percent statewide. In 2020, I think it decreases by about 22 percent. So even though we’re getting more money we’re not getting what we got the year before. A penny-a-gallon gas tax that kicked in July 1 and we got less money because of the new funding.”
Peters noted that both funds are about $60,000 less than this time last year.
Klotz asked the council to help pick up funding to help complete more road projects in 2019.
“We’re asking for a one year commitment to give us a chance to prove ourselves. The idea behind what we’re trying to do here today is to basically un-handcuff this highway department because in the last couple years they’ve never been unleashed. I’m just curious how far they can really go if we get the funding and turn them loose and get us out of this mess. It’s going to take a couple of years, but I believe it can be done.”
Ultimately, Klotz is asking for an additional $600,000 to other funding to repave, chip and seal, double chip and seal and other construction and maintenance to improve the roads. This would be on top of FEMA reimbursement money to be used on the roads which is about $100,000 and Community Crossings funding at a proposed $300,000.
The council members aren’t opposed to the idea, but they would like to see a plan to get an idea of what the outlook is for the road program and what the additional money will be used for. It will be then when the council will consider the extra funding. The commissioners would also need to approve the plan.
Peters agreed to put together a plan to present to the council soon.
The entire discussion can be heard on Sunday’s Maximum Impact program at noon on MAX 98.3 FM.
