Florence officials push shovel‑ready designs and new funding options as costs surge
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Summary
Town staff said rising material prices pushed some projects beyond original budgets and described seeking design concept reports (DCRs), MAG support, state appropriations and the option of a local transportation tax to fund shovel‑ready phases.
Town officials used the podcast to explain how rising construction costs have affected local transportation plans and to describe funding and planning steps the town will pursue.
Public Works Director Andy Smith said materials and labor cost increases since 2020 inflated earlier project budgets; the town cited an increase from an $8 million preliminary estimate to about $15 million on at least one project during updated pricing. Smith said that, because the highway‑user fund and certain tax pots are constrained, the town is looking at multiple funding options, including state appropriations, MAG programming, RTEC and rural transportation council dollars and the idea of a targeted local transportation tax if the council and voters agree. "We've been paying the same gas tax since 1991, which is 19¢ a gallon," Smith said, noting electric vehicles also reduce fuel‑tax receipts.
Planning work and DCRs: Senior Engineer Lindsey Bridal described work on a design concept report (DCR) for Hunt Highway that would yield roughly 15% design, break the corridor into shovel‑ready phases and make the town more competitive for state appropriations and grants. "A DCR would allow us to kind of identify how to break these projects up, and then we could go after additional funds for actual construction," Bridal said.
Coordination and next steps: Staff said they will continue to prepare shovel‑ready projects, coordinate with MAG for corridor DCRs on SR‑79, and pursue public input before any tax proposal. The Franklin Road‑to‑railroad widening was described as a county‑led project with Florence's right‑of‑way acquisition complete and construction on the Florence side targeted for mid‑summer.
Why it matters: Without updated dedicated revenue or successful grant/appropriation applications, the town said some projects will be delayed or need to be phased. Town officials urged residents to attend budget hearings and council meetings to follow prioritization and funding decisions.