Douglas County officials outline $65 million road backlog, weigh taxes and local districts to pay for repairs

Douglas County officials on Wednesday laid out the extent of the county’s road problems and the funding choices available to address them, telling residents that the county faces a roughly $65 million backlog in pavement repair and rehabilitation.

The county manager, Jennifer Davidson, and transportation staff presented pavement-condition ratings, maintenance strategies and possible revenue tools ranging from a quarter-cent sales-tax measure to the creation of local road-maintenance districts. No new taxes or final policy decisions were made; the session was structured as an information workshop with public input.

“The decisions we’re making today and the conversations today are very much going to have an impact on the quality of life for our residents,” Davidson said during opening remarks. She told the board the presentation was “intended to be very comprehensive” and encouraged residents to continue providing input via a live survey and follow-up outreach.

Why it matters: County staff said a combination of decades of deferred maintenance, rising construction costs and constrained revenue sources has pushed repair needs well beyond routine patching. Staff presented the results of a new pavement condition inventory and a fiscal analysis showing that delaying preventative work greatly increases long-term costs.

Key findings from the staff presentation - Pavement condition: The most recent pavement condition index (PCI) survey showed regional paved roads average a PCI of 79 (satisfactory), local paved roads average 58 (fair), and the combined county average is 66. The county’s stated target is a PCI of about 70. - Mileage: Staff reported the county maintains about 189 miles of paved roads, roughly 43 miles of “grindings” roads (reused asphalt), and nearly 10 miles of gravel roads. An additional ~189 miles of public roads have not been accepted for county maintenance for various legal or design reasons. - Backlog and cost: Staff updated the previously quoted backlog from about $50 million to an estimated $65 million. Routine preventative treatments (chip seal/slurry) cost roughly $55,000 per mile and…