Commission begins phased cut to highway sales‑tax awards, sets $80,000 cap per special road district

Christian County commissioners approved changes to the FY26 highway sales‑tax distribution program that begin a planned five‑year phase‑out and adjust how funds are parceled to special road districts and municipalities.

A county presenter explained the plan under which the board voted last fall to reduce the program by 20% annually until it phases out; the FY26 cycle is the plan’s first year of reduction. The presenter said the program’s maximum award is $80,000 per special road district and that six special road districts applied this year for chip‑and‑seal, overlay and culvert projects.

The presenter also outlined a municipal cost‑share pool of $100,000 distributed quarterly (25% per quarter) for cities that apply, noting the county will maintain a $400,000 annual capital improvement fund (broken into $100,000 quarterly disbursements). “Because we decreased by 20% this year, I changed the scoring around a bit to try to maximize our distributions,” the presenter said.

Commissioners discussed concerns raised by one special road district (Salmore) that had asked about funding to address Salmore Road and expressed appreciation for staff offering guidance on other grant avenues, including regional bridge programs and SIMCOG. One commissioner said the board sought a gradual approach: “I feel like we really handled that the right way by not just pulling the rug out from underneath, but making slow steps to let them prepare for that funding,” the commissioner said.

The commission approved the FY26 distribution program by voice vote and asked staff to continue monitoring projects, cost per mile metrics and to offer technical assistance to districts pursuing outside grants.