Pennington County highway chief outlines 2026 projects, credits wheel tax for grant success

Pennington County Highway Superintendent Joe Miller told the County Commission that the highway department's 2026 budget request covers a set of bridge repairs, an asphalt overlay program and equipment replacements meant to keep rural roads and tourist routes open and safe.

Miller said the county's wheel tax, first adopted in 2020 and increased to $5 per wheel last year, has been a major enabler of large grant applications the department has won. "Since the implementation of the wheel tax and successful big grant applications, we've gotten 12 of our 12 or 14 of our bridges off the poor rating list," he said, and added that the county collected about $3.6 million in wheel-tax revenue in the most recent year.

Why it matters: Pennington County maintains roads that serve both residents and more than 4 million annual tourists; the county has prioritized safety projects and multiple bridge repairs that depend on matching funds and the county's ability to show a local funding commitment.

Planned work and funding: Miller walked commissioners through the department's major project list for 2026, which includes four bridge repairs funded in large part by grants applied for in prior years, two locally funded bridge repairs, and an asphalt overlay program likely to cover Silver City Road, Reservoir Road and the Lamb Intersection. He described a reconstruction project at a sharp 90-degree curve with restricted sight distance that the state agreed to consider as a safety project; the county is working on right-of-way agreements with adjacent landowners.

The department also plans base stabilization and chip-seal work on some gravel hill roads and expects to reprogram a number of equipment purchases: a motor grader, a tandem-axle truck, a new loader to replace one lost in a shop fire, a mini excavator, a skid steer, and routine replacements such as a fuel island estimated at about $15,000. Miller said his 2026 personnel request includes a part-time, non-benefited shop assistant to help the parts manager and keep mechanics working in the shop.

Recent repairs and operations: Miller reviewed a lightning strike in August that caused a fire in the Hill City shop but said repairs were completed quickly with help from Buildings and Grounds and an outside contractor. He also described recent investments in security cameras across county divisions and in a crane and other shop upgrades. He said equipment purchase planning begun in 2019 has lowered liability; for example, all motor graders are under warranty.

Commission comments and next steps: Commissioners pressed Miller on overtime, hiring and the long-term sustainability of highway funding. Commissioner Roskinec asked hypothetically how the department would look without the wheel tax; Miller said the tax had enabled grant matches that otherwise would have been unlikely and cited about $3.6 million collected in the most recent year and multiple bridge grants that followed. Several commissioners urged Miller to revisit overtime assumptions and return with tightened line items; Miller said unpredictable winter storms cause year-to-year volatility.

Miller also discussed the Hill City shop lease, which he said may be a long-term lease with a complex buyback provision. He said the county is actively communicating with congressional offices about potential federal legislation that could deed adjacent Forest Service property to the county for a new facility and estimated that appraisal or buyback terms remain to be negotiated. He told commissioners he expects to submit the department's formal 2026 budget request and stand ready to answer follow-up questions.

Ending: Commissioners indicated they would review Miller's request and suggested adjustments to overtime and other line items; they thanked Miller for the presentation and for the department's recent work on both routine maintenance and larger grant-funded projects.