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Road department warns of structural shortfall; county plans to shift maintenance to SB 1 funding
Summary
Public Works outlined a persistent revenue–expense gap in county road funds driven by rising costs, reduced purchasing power of gas‑tax reimbursements and a move to fleet‑owned equipment. Staff proposed using SB 1 maintenance funds and increasing cooperative work for short‑term balance.
Mono County Public Works told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that road division revenues are not keeping pace with rising costs and growing equipment replacement obligations, creating a structural shortfall the county plans to manage through program changes and targeted use of SB 1 maintenance funding.
Why it matters: Road maintenance and snow removal are core county services. Staff said the county must reconcile equipment replacement costs, reduced vehicle‑fuel‑tax growth and higher repair and materials costs to sustain service levels.
Public Works Director Paul Raton and road superintendent Steve Reeves reviewed district staffing, revenue sources and the department’s plan. Road revenue sources include HUTA/gas‑tax reimbursements, Forest Service contributions, vehicle code revenues, SB 1 and zone‑of‑benefit assessments. Raton said the division receives about $5.3 million annually in current revenues but that expenditures are rising due to labor, materials and a transition to fleet‑owned equipment that requires annual replacement charges.
Staffing and work program: The roads operation now runs four supervisory areas and a compact crew structure (roughly 13 maintenance workers plus supervisors). Reeves said the department performs winter snow clearance and year‑round work — grading, drainage maintenance, event support and roadside management — adding mutual‑aid and federal partner work in some years.
Near‑term plan: To close the shortfall, staff proposed directing SB 1 (transportation maintenance) funds to core maintenance tasks the county already performs — drainage, culvert maintenance and other preventive work — and to continue selling services to federal partners where feasible. Raton said using SB 1 to fund regular maintenance will help stabilize the roads fund immediately but cautioned it can reduce engineering and front‑end dollars available for larger capital projects that rely on federal funds for construction.
Other items: Raton said better inventory coordination with the town for spare parts, continued purchase of modern equipment (which lowers ongoing maintenance) and a suggestion to authorize earlier signature on some recurring state payments would improve cash flow and reduce administrative lags.
Ending: Staff will propose SB 1 budgeting in the next fiscal cycle and continue to seek cooperative agreements for equipment sharing and outside work to bolster the roads fund while preserving priority capital projects.
