Fewer miles will be blacktopped this year in Scott County than planned

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County will be doing a lot less blacktopping than planned.

County commissioners discussed the effect oil prices are having on this year's county blacktopping program during their regular meeting Tuesday.

In January when commissioners were working on the county's 2008 budget, the price for asphalt was $32.95 per ton from Delta Asphalt and $40 per ton from Asa Asphalt.

Based on these figures, commissioners had planned to resurface about 10 miles of existing asphalt, according to Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger.

"The asphalt price is going up," Commissioner Ron McCormick said.

Commissioners were advised in May that they could expect prices to rise by $6.50 per ton on July 1.

"We got a letter today saying on July 7 it will go up $11.50," Burger said.

"We thought $6.50 was going to be bad," McCormick said. "$11.50 is even worse."

Burger said higher prices means "less product on the road."

"We still have the same amount of money we are spending," Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn explained. "But with the higher prices, the number of miles the county will be able to resurface is decreasing every day," he said.

In the letter, Delta Asphalt advised their oil costs for asphalt have gone up 55 percent, Burger said.

Ziegenhorn said he is frustrated with Congress as high oil prices are having a serious effect on the nation and their response has been nothing or, in the case of the tax rebate, ineffective. "It's killing the economy and they're not addressing it," he said.

"These fuel prices concern me," Burger said. "It concerns me for our budget because big ticket items aren't being purchased and we are going to see our sales tax receipts going down and our fuel-based expenses going up."

Burger said some major employers around the nation and in this area are now laying off workers due to fuel costs.

"Disposable incomes are being gobbled up by fuel costs," he said. "We as a county are going through the same problem each and every individual is going through and we're seeing our income go down."