A large crowd listened as the Wells County Council heard Tuesday of a perceived need from citizens for more paved roads.
Todd Fiechter first discussed his research on the county’s wheel tax money and history of paving roads, leading off by saying he wasn’t there to criticize the highway department. Commissioners President Blake Gerber and Highway Supervisor Ed Herman were then given the chance to discuss their own research on the topics.
But a few from the audience also spoke up, expressing their displeasure with what they believe to be a lack of maintenance of some county roads.
Converting gravel to chip and seal falls back on having the money available,
Fiechter said he has been told in the past. Figures he has gathered since 2007, when the tax was first collected in Wells County, through about three months ago indicate the county has collected $2.95 million from the tax.
Meanwhile, Fiechter – citing minutes from the commissioners’ March 2, 2015, meeting and a confirmation from Herman – no roads have been paved in the last seven years.
He then posed the question: Why has the balance continued to grow without money being spent when the main response he received from the commissioners,
when asked about road conversion, is that they don’t have the money to do so?
Furthermore, if the policy is not to pave roads, Fiechter said he doesn’t believe the tax is needed anymore, since the funds have increased.
Todd Mahnensmith, who was chosen as the council’s president Tuesday night, said in the past those highway decisions have been left up to Herman and the commissioners.
Herman and Gerber then had the floor, and Herman presented figures dating back to 2007 for the Motor Vehicle and Highway, the Local Roads and Streets, and the wheel/surtax funds.
Herman said the cost of material per mile of maintaining chip and seal has gone up. The price of oil per gallon has increased since 2006 when it was $0.95, at one point nearly doubling that ($1.82 in 2012). The 2015 cost of material per mile of chip and seal was $8,000.
Gerber said some counties are converting back to gravel due to the maintenance costs.
Herman presented balances of the MVH and LRS funds since 2009. In 2015, the MVH Fund had $1,119,746 and LRS had $200,108.94. But he said part of the balance will be needed to fund his department’s budget. Later, he said the county council has budgeted $200,000 for road conversion in 2016.
He also said 48 counties across the state have the wheel tax, and he’s been told at the state level that it is possible that in the future, counties won’t receive additional money for highway if their wheel tax is not maxed out.
Council member Mike Mossburg said a tax was put in place with the objective to improve roads and he would like to see that money allocated to do so. His comment received an applause from the crowd.
Member Chuck King said he’d like to see the ball rolling as well, and member Vicki Andrews said a plan of some type is needed so that at least small improvements are made each year.
“If we raise all this money ... I do think we need a plan so that we are making improvements on our roads,” she said, and Gerber said he believed that was a “great idea.”
A few people from the crowd voiced their concerns or asked questions, including Jack Pace. Pace said those in attendance heard Tuesday evening where all the money is going besides to road improvements and urged money be spent on “rebuilding” roads.
He said this isn’t the first time the citizens have been told there is no money to make road improvements, and it will continue to be that way until the county makes it a priority. He asked the crowd if he was right, and they erupted in applause.
“Until you change the mindset of the county,” he added, “we will never go forward on this issue.”
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