Council denies $526,000 reclassification request for Bridge 115 engineering; temporary fixes discussed

The Henry County Council debated a $526,000 request to reclassify county general funds into council reclassification to pay engineering and matching costs related to Bridge 115 on 400 South, which is currently closed. The highway liaison said the money would cover engineering work and potentially speed a federal-aid timeline that can take four to six years.

Council members and highway staff discussed alternatives: a temporary epoxy fix (estimated at about $50,000) to reopen the bridge under a weight limit and bridge inspections, or using reclassification funds to underwrite engineering to shorten the federal-aid schedule. Several members raised timing concerns because reclassification funds are not nonreverting and would disappear at year end unless a contract was in place within weeks.

Because of the timing constraints and uncertainty about whether the money could be obligated before year-end close, Speaker 8 moved to deny the $526,000 reclassification request; Speaker 7 seconded the motion. The council voted to deny the request.

Why it matters: Bridge 115 is closed and is a local transportation priority; the denial leaves short-term repair options and funding priorities to be reconsidered, including whether to pursue a smaller emergency epoxy repair, reallocate other maintenance funds, or revisit federal-aid matching after the first of the year.

Next steps: County staff and commissioners said they would continue discussions with the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) and revisit funding options in January, including the possible creation of a nonreverting fund to carry engineering allocations across year boundaries.