Kosciusko County approves highway spending plan, okays equipment purchases and bridge funding

Kosciusko County commissioners approved the highway-related portions of the 2026 budget after a presentation by county highway staff, who outlined planned equipment purchases, contract increases and multiple bridge projects.

Steve Ramsey, a highway department representative, told commissioners the department tries "to touch 10% of the roads that we have every year," noting the county maintains roughly 138 miles targeted annually by treatments such as chip-and-seal, pug mix and microseal. Ramsey said the department balances the desire to spend carryover funds on roads against keeping taxpayer cash reserves: "At the same time, we don't want to leave too much cash because of the taxpayers' money. We wanna make sure that we get it on the roads as much as we can."

The commissioners approved the motor vehicle highway budgets and related locations after discussing several line-item changes. Ramsey described three main equipment-related increases: a rise in contractual services from $40,000 to $60,000 to cover contractor snowplowing needs; an increase in payments for outside tree services that require bucket trucks; and a planned purchase of a new pug mill to replace a 1973 unit that makes the county's pug mix. He said the county is combining 2025 carryover and 2026 funds so it can buy the pug mill in January 2026 without taking a loan.

Ramsey also described adjustments to truck purchases. Commissioners had placed a $300,000 figure in their budget for a single-axle dump truck; Ramsey said quotes vary (a 2024 quote for a single-axle was $292,000 and a tandem was $326,000) and that the highway office standardized its annual vehicle plan around one pickup, one single-axle dump and one tandem each year. He said a portion of truck funding was moved from the Local Road & Street account into the Motor Vehicle Highway (MVH) account where there was more room.

Commissioners and staff discussed efforts to reduce fuel and other operating projections after recent price spikes. Ramsey said the department lowered its fuel projection by about $100,000 based on annual bids and current expectations but acknowledged he may ask later for an additional appropriation if prices rise. The board heard that sharing a mechanic with the sheriff’s department has improved turnaround times and safety: Ramsey said having a second mechanic reduces single-worker risks and helps equipment uptime when the paver or other heavy equipment needs service.

On maintenance and grant-funded work, Ramsey explained the county won two HSIP (Highway Safety Improvement Program) grants covering signs and pavement striping: "We went for $500,000 worth of signs and then $500,000 worth of road striping. So for us, it would only cost a total of $100,000 to get a million dollars worth of work," he said, describing the local match arrangement. Commissioners approved the maintenance and repair locations tied to that grant funding.

Staff also detailed bridge accounts and a five-year outlook for bridge-project cashflow. Ramsey said small-structure replacements (less than 19 feet) normally receive no federal funds and are often funded locally or through community-crossing grants; several bridge projects are under construction or awaiting final federal closeout. He said the county must hold substantial cash for multi-year bridge match obligations and flagged projected shortfalls in later years: "If you look at what we show, we only bring in $866,800 in a year. I can't build a bridge for that ... with the increases that we have, we should be able to hold enough money back," Ramsey said, while noting that 2027 is the year some bridge accounts show negative balances in current projections unless revenue or rates change.

Commissioners briefly debated shifting $30,000 from truck purchases to another line; Ramsey and staff explained which account numbers pay for trucks versus other equipment and noted the commissioners had already placed money toward a single-axle truck. The motion to approve the highway fund sections passed by voice vote.

Votes at a glance (highway- and bridge-related items approved during the same session): - Fund 1176, Location 50 (Motor Vehicle Highway): motion to accept as presented — moved by Jalen; seconded by Rachel; outcome: approved (voice vote; no roll call recorded). Note: increases include contractual services +$20,000 (to $60,000), tree services increase, equipment/pug mill funding, reallocation of some truck purchases from Local Road & Street to MVH. - Fund 1176, Location 51 (Maintenance & Repair for Highway): motion to approve — moved by Kim; seconded by Joe; outcome: approved. Purpose: to cover HSIP match and routine maintenance lines. - Fund 1169 (Local Road & Street): motion to approve — moved by Delen; seconded by Kathy; outcome: approved. Included reductions and reallocated vegetation-control spending. - Fund 1135 (Bridge account / "Cone Bridge" / small structures planning): motion to approve — moved by Kathy; seconded by Delaney; outcome: approved. Staff warned projected negative balances in 2027 without rate/revenue changes. - Fund 4928 (Wheel tax account for road projects): motion to approve — moved by Kim; seconded by Joe; outcome: approved. Staff said the wheel tax generates its own revenue and the budget was increased to maximize road spending. - Bridge funds (several project-specific funds approved): Fund 8203 (Bridge 161), Fund 8247 (Bridge 227), Fund 8330 (Milford / local tracks project), Fund 8332 (Oakwood tracks / bridge portion), Fund 8403 (Bridge 123, out for construction bids), Fund 8404 (Bridge 139 right-of-way and future letting), Fund 8406 (Bridge 30, construction complete), Fund 8409 (Bridge 9, construction underway). Each motion was made and seconded on the floor and approved by voice vote; staff noted some projects remain open until state/federal closeout and that final county bills may still be due in 2025 for projects currently in construction.

Why this matters: county highway budgets fund routine maintenance, storm and winter responses, and multi-year bridge projects that require local matches when federal or state grants are used. The highway presentation showed staff balancing carryover cash, grant matches and equipment replacement cycles — including a decades-old pug mill — with a stated operational goal of treating roughly 10% of county mileage each year.

Follow-up and next steps: staff said the pug mill purchase plan remains on track to be encumbered from 2025 funds and purchased in January 2026 if approved by the county. Commissioners asked staff to provide clearer account-line correlations next year (which equipment is charged to which numeric line) and to continue monitoring fuel and parts prices that could prompt additional appropriations. Staff also flagged bridge account projections and indicated further discussion of rate-setting or revenue adjustments may be required to avoid negative balances in future years.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A at the Kosciusko County commissioners budget hearing; highway staff presentation by Steve Ramsey and Angie; grant references and bridge project status as stated in the hearing.