Stephenson County board members approved the county highway budget Wednesday while keeping $70,000 in the highway fund for a proposed communications tower and removing a planned $45,000 truck purchase from the equipment line.

The move preserves a $100,000 construction-equipment line and keeps the $70,000 radio-and-service allocation intended to help address known reception dead spots in the county’s far corners. Board members debated whether the county should shoulder the bulk of the tower cost or require deeper contributions from public-safety partners.

Why it matters: county highway staff and public-safety officials have identified a coverage gap in the north and west parts of the county. The county’s contribution, proponents said, would improve radio reception for emergency responders in those areas and support fire and EMA communications.

Dale, a highway department staff member, described operational reasons for the project and noted support from other agencies. He said the repeater in Freeport suffers from interference and that a higher, dedicated tower near Orangeville would improve reception. The tower proposal discussed in the meeting includes a 150-foot option; the $70,000 in the highway fund is the county’s share in an arrangement that also contemplates $10,000 contributions from the sheriff’s office and from 9-1-1.

Board member discussion centered on the project’s urgency and on broader budget pressures. One board member argued for trimming the radio allocation to $5,000, citing other county financial strains; that amendment failed on a voice vote. A subsequent amendment that preserved the $70,000 radio allocation and the $100,000 construction-equipment line but removed a $45,000 planned truck purchase passed. The board then approved the full budget as amended.

Highway staff also reviewed equipment and repair needs. Scott, a highway staff member, outlined the department’s recent work (road patching, seal coating, ditch and guardrail tasks) and said planned projects would continue next season. Department officials described a heavy workload: they reported about $3.5 million in major repairs on a single piece of equipment and said tractor leases are being used to manage seasonal needs. Staff also said the department expects ongoing replacement needs roughly in the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to keep up with equipment depreciation and that a fully equipped tandem chassis would cost about $250,000–$300,000 to replace.

Board members asked whether the county could recoup part of the tower cost by charging other departments rent or by formal interdepartmental agreements; county staff said they would draft repayment terms and recommended seeking multi-year contributions from affected departments so the county would not bear the full up-front cost alone. The board also discussed potential state programs and grants (HSIP and other safety funding) that could offset project costs.

The board did not set a construction date at the meeting. Staff said some technical work remains — including site work and a small equipment shelter and battery backup — and that final quotes will be required before construction begins.

What comes next: county staff will prepare formal agreements with partner agencies about cost sharing and will return with contract and construction details once pricing and permitting are complete.