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Road and Bridge scales back gravel, dust-control and professional services in preliminary 2026 request
Summary
Road and Bridge Superintendent outlined reductions to gravel buildup, dust-control product, professional services and pavement projects to meet preliminary budget limits.
Ty, Road and Bridge superintendent, told commissioners he had to reduce several major line items in his preliminary 2026 request to fit the department’s revenue projection.
Ty explained that the largest single reduction was to gravel buildup and that the department expects to do far less new gravel installation than in previous years, shifting to selective spot treatments rather than large volume haul-ins. He said, “we will be very selective where we install gravel” and noted the department would continue grading and moisture conditioning but will not be able to install the same volume of new materials next year.
Dust-control product — a major recurring expense — was also cut significantly. Ty outlined two options for delivering a smaller dust-control program next year: (1) reduce the number of segments that receive dust control and rely on grading and moisture conditioning on other segments; or (2) apply half the previously used quantity of magnesium chloride in two applications (the department’s current practice is two successive applications at roughly a quarter-gallon per square yard). He emphasized this is a policy as well as a budget choice because lower application rates performed poorly in prior years, and the board should weigh environmental and public-health effects.
Other reductions include cuts to contract engineering and traffic control, hauling, some bridge repair contingencies and reduced professional services. Ty said pavement-preservation projects previously contemplated for County Roads 23 and 24 were deferred to FY2027 to meet budget constraints.
Ty said the department plans to preserve essential bridge repair work if inspections identify immediate safety needs, but warned that deferred maintenance and parts cannibalization over multiple years have operational consequences. No board votes were taken; commissioners asked for more detail on priority trade-offs and for further discussion in upcoming budget work sessions.
