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Roads director seeks pavement-first plan, warns county to prepare for state transportation funding changes
Summary
Public works leaders said the county will prioritize pavement preservation and snow/ice readiness in FY26 and asked commissioners to track the state transportation funding package; local projects include Tumalo Road, Palut Butte/Nelson paving and several intersection improvements.
Scott Edelman, director of Deschutes County Roads, told the budget committee the road department will maintain a “maintenance‑first” approach in its FY26 capital plan — preserving pavement condition and shoring up snow and ice readiness — while also planning larger system projects if new state transportation funding becomes available.
Nut graf: The department proposed $18.9 million in FY26 road capital work, led by local improvement projects and pavement preservation: heavier investments in overlays, chip seals and targeted intersection work would keep pavement condition and deferred maintenance in check while bond financing and new state money would be needed for a new landfill‑scale set of projects and big corridor improvements.
Edelman said the county’s operating fund is about 80% funded by state highway fund allocations (the state gas‑tax and vehicle revenue formula), with additional funding from SDCs and occasional federal grants. He proposed a $90‑per‑ton landfill tip fee in Solid Waste earlier in the meeting and said any state transport package would be phased and likely not appear in operating revenues until later quarters.
Key FY26 projects described include the Palut Butte Highway/Nelson Road paving work; the Lower Bridge Way / 40th Street intersection project (a roundabout concept requiring federal NEPA for BLM land acquisition); and the Tumalo Reservoir Road rebuilding and Metolius/South Century Drive roundabout projects. Edelman said the county was coordinating with cities and Western Federal Lands on grant‑funded pieces.
Edelman said longer‑term needs include a replacement landfill cell and indoor transfer stations for solid waste, projects that could require $50–70 million in bonding by 2030; he asked the committee to track state funding and PILT/secure school reauthorization closely because those revenues affect county capital plans.
Ending: Edelman asked commissioners to support continued investment in pavement preservation and to monitor the state transport package and federal grant cycles closely so the county can phase large capital projects as revenues arrive.
