Bollinger County residents demand better roads

A quick look through minutes of the Bollinger County Commission shows the body discusses roads, and little else.

After they meet with road-crew supervisors, commissioners meet with disgruntled residents over complaints such as backed-up ditches, roads not built correctly, roads not maintained, bridges in disrepair, roads that need gravel, roads that had chat (rock fragments) but the road graders graded them off -- the list of complaints seems endless.

Residents say they would support a sales tax dedicated to road and bridge maintenance. Others say the county road and bridge department gets enough money; it just needs to learn how to build and maintain roads properly.

Commissioners say they agree with the residents; the roads have long been what Commissioner Steve Jordan calls "a different animal." The road situation is not a new one. And Bollinger County is faced with a revenue source that gets smaller every year.

Bollinger County has been given a waiver until 2015 to implement mandated health insurance for employees, which will affect how much money will be available for roads. Before the Affordable Care Act, Jordan said, the county did not provide health insurance, and the waiver gave the county a chance to find a way to fund it. Soon it will have to provide that insurance, cutting into its revenue.

The county kept up somewhat with revenue because of some natural disasters that generated Federal Emergency Management Agency money, Jordan said. In 2008, when a wind storm destroyed property in the north side of the county, the county contributed in-kind services to match the money FEMA paid for cleanup and repairs. That financial source has run dry.

Earlier this year, the state auditor reiterated the county is collecting more sales tax money than what it is entitled. Even if voters were willing to approve a sales tax for roads and bridges, it would be illegal, according to the state.

Jordan said he isn't sure voters would approve a tax for road and bridge upkeep at this point. There's too much distrust the county must overcome before residents agree to dig deeper into their pockets.

The commissioners have said it's difficult to keep employees in the road and bridge department. Good ones leave for better-paying jobs elsewhere.

"You don't learn how to operate a motor grader in two weeks' time," said road supervisor Mark Davis. "It takes at least a year."

The county made John Stratton a first district supervisor, although he still is paid as a road employee, to help improve training and communication. Employees leave for better-paying jobs and because they know residents don't have faith in their ability to do the job well. Jordan said in September, only two employees were able to do road work.

It also takes a year or two to maintain or repair all the roads in the county. Some roads have not seen a grader since fall, and some have deep holes that need repair. Well-traveled roads take priority, Jordan said. It will take longer this year, he said, because the county has endured a harsh winter conditions and a wet spring.

The county has three graders that take about eight weeks to go through each assigned area.

"The biggest argument here is, can you go back and find eight weeks in the last year together?" Jordan said. "The roads are worse than ever. We're trying to do a better job."

Stratton has offered local blogger Becky Davenport an opportunity to spend a day with the road crew to see the job firsthand. Davenport said she would take him up on the offer.

In the meantime, residents still want to know when their roads are going to get fixed.