County public advocate urges focus on countywide priorities, warns against using road board for routine municipal maintenance
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Summary
Arnie C. Diddonf, county public advocate, told the road board that some municipal applications ask the county to fund projects he considers routine local maintenance and urged adherence to the half‑cent sales tax's intended uses.
A county public advocate urged the St. Charles County Road Board to prioritize larger, county‑wide safety and capacity projects and to scrutinize municipal applications he described as routine maintenance.
Arnie C. Diddonf identified himself as the county public advocate and said he planned to oppose applications that he believes seek county funds for ongoing maintenance that should be the responsibility of municipalities. "I just want to remind the county road board that we need to not lose focus of what the half cent sales tax was intended for," Diddonf said, adding the tax was approved for future building, safety improvements, and to avoid bottlenecks.
Diddonf suggested municipalities explore alternatives such as Community Development Block Grants, the state highway financing authority, road tax levies or road districts, and accounting audits to ensure they receive proper state road and gas tax allocations. He also urged more intergovernmental cooperation with MoDOT and municipalities to manage rapid growth along corridors such as Highway N and cited a recent safety concern at Technology Parkway and Weldon Spring Road.
The remarks were given during public comment and did not prompt a formal board vote; board members noted the comments as part of the public record and continued with scheduled TIP applications and staff presentations.