The Marshall County Council held a special evening meeting on Monday with a few dozen citizens in attendance.
Many people were anticipating a discussion on roads with the presentation of the 2016 Road Plan and the packet of resolutions from the city and towns in Marshall County showing support for LOHUT and CEDIT.
Council President Judy Stone opened the meeting and asked for public input. State Rep. TIm Harman said he had attended the joint meeting of the council and commissioners in March but didn’t say everything he wanted to. He said he completed his own analysis after having a number of constituents approach him about the roads. Representative Harman spoke about the ‘buy in’ opportunity with a 50% grant match although he was unsure of the maximum amount, mentioning $500,000.
Harman reviewed the Umbaugh report and said $745,00 is collected in addition to the amount needed for the jail and $86,000 extra in the General Fund is projected to be collected. He suggested moving some of the jail funding and general fund money over to help with road. He also mention the $1.1 million that came back to the county this month from the Local Government Trust Fund and the final payment of $1.4 million for the relinquishment of US 31 which was to be set aside along with $3.3 million in the county’s Rainy Day Fund. Harman also mentions the beginning cash fund balances in the Motor Vehicle HIghway and Local ROads and Streets is about $2 million bring his figures to $7.8 million that could find it’s way into roads.
The only other comment came from 7th Road resident Stephanie Thomas who said she was opposed to the wheel tax, her complaint continues to be maintenance from previous years and currently. She noted, last week she saw county employees fill pot hole and miss the two holes next to it. She feels the highway department is not spending their money wisely.
Highway Superintendent Jason Peters presented his 2016 road plan that seeks approximately $5 million to complete his wish list for this year. Peters showed council members a map detailing which road his current funding of $850,000 will do, 28.25 miles and another map with the projects the $5 million could do, 117 miles of road work. He too noted Umbaugh’s report that says the county will see an extreme short fall within two years. Peters said, ‘Our roads are getting to the point of public safety.’
Commissioner Kevin Overmyer asked the council to use the $1.1 million LIOT distribution they just received as the required grant match money making that 1 million turn into 2 million and the county council approved his request. He also noted that MACOG will assist the county in the grant application process.
HIs second request of moving $1.5 million from the general fund to the highway for road work didn’t get any action from the council while his request to have the council conduct a special meeting and public hearing on the possibility of a LOHUT or CEDIT tax was approved with the date of the special meeting to be set in the next couple of days.
