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Public Works seeks expanded half‑cent spending, grant matches and road program catch‑up after years of deferred projects
Summary
Public Works told the board the department is seeking to accelerate road and bridge work in FY26 using half‑cent regional road funds, outside grants and planned debt prepayment; staff noted state and federal program rules and Highway User Revenue Fund limits constrain options and urged pursuing grants to augment local funds.
Public Works Director Roger McCormick told the board the FY26 recommended plan proposes the largest regional‑roads program in recent memory and relies on a mix of local half‑cent excise funding, state highway user revenues and outside grants to address a backlog of deferred projects.
McCormick said the department proposed roughly $25 million in regional road projects for the coming year and that the county intends to match and leverage external grant programs — including Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), Off‑System Bridge grants and Safe Streets for All funding — to expand capacity. He also said paying down the county’s revenue-obligation debt would free capacity for capital planning.
On revenue risks McCormick and budget staff reiterated earlier remarks that highway user revenues (motor fuel and vehicle‑related receipts) are based on decades‑old formulas and per‑gallon allocations — revenue sources that have not kept pace with inflation or with changing vehicle fleets. They highlighted growing uncertainty over future state allocations and noted the county’s HEERF (gas‑tax) and VLT receipts are sensitive to broader state policy and economic conditions.
Why it matters: McCormick said Yavapai County must prioritize a multi‑year capital improvement plan and more aggressive grant pursuit to keep pace with road needs, noting one driver of the FY26 program is to use current reserve and bond‑capacity gains to address a multi‑year backlog. He told supervisors the department will continue seeking grant opportunities and said staff are working with municipalities and state partners to coordinate project submittals.
Ending: The Public Works director said staff will return with project‑level scopes, schedules and grant‑match plans as part of the county’s capital improvement program briefings.
