Commissioners debate asphalt funding: $500,000 or $750,000 for Road & Bridge maintenance
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Summary
The commission weighed whether to fund $500,000 or $750,000 for asphalt maintenance in the 2026 budget; some commissioners favored the larger sum to accelerate catch-up maintenance while others preferred incrementally increasing funding.
Miami County commissioners debated funding levels for Road & Bridge asphalt maintenance during a June 25 budget study session, with options of roughly $500,000 and $750,000 discussed.
Commissioner Paul (Miami County Board of Commissioners) pushed for a smaller, incremental increase, saying, "I kinda still like the dollar, but I can go with 3%." More directly on roads, another commissioner argued for $500,000 to allow the county to "chunk" funds over several years and reach long‑term repair goals without adding new infrastructure. "I feel like we can get to that 1,500,000 ask in 3 years in chunks and not adding any more asphalt by year 3," that commissioner said.
Other commissioners disagreed. Commissioner Keith (Miami County Board of Commissioners) said he wanted the larger $750,000 figure this year to address deferred maintenance: "Yeah. I want $7.50. I think we need it this year." The $7.50 figure referenced an item on the handout representing $750,000 for asphalt.
Staff and commissioners discussed tradeoffs between accelerating repairs and preserving budget flexibility for personnel and other capital needs. Lucas Mellinger, assistant county administrator, reminded the board the budget had competing priorities including jail staffing, equipment, and gravel purchases. "If we're gonna go for a sales tax, what are we gonna do?" one commissioner added, linking long‑term revenue options to infrastructure funding.
No formal vote on the asphalt figure was recorded in the study session transcript. Commissioners indicated differing priorities and asked staff to show the fiscal impacts of each option in the next draft of the budget.