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Commissioners say current funding won’t fix decades‑old roads; urge seeking grants and partners
Summary
Commissioners at the Feb. 2 Walker County meeting said district allotments of $250,000 will cover only short stretches of pavement and called for broader funding strategies; officials noted some county roads have not been repaved in 30–40 years and that the $1,000,000 transfer approved will buy limited mileage.
Commissioner Jim Borden and other county officials used the Feb. 2 Walker County Commission meeting to press the limits of current road funding and urge pursuit of additional grant or partnership options.
"At three hundred and fifty something miles, 350, 355, miles in District Three; you do that two miles this year, it's years before you come back," Commissioner Jim Borden said, describing the scale of needed repairs in his district. Borden said a $250,000 share of the recently approved $1,000,000 transfer "is a drop in the bucket" compared with county needs.
County Engineer Glenn Peek offered a technical estimate, saying the same amount would repave "two to two and-a-half miles" depending on road width. Peek also noted that the State typically repaves traveled highways on a roughly 10–15 year cycle, while commissioners said some county roads have gone 30–40 years without repaving due to limited funds.
Commissioners approved the transfer of $1,000,000 from the Road & Bridge Fund to the district gas tax funds during the meeting; the funds are intended for road maintenance projects and will be placed in Funds 123–126. Commissioners and staff emphasized that the transfer provides short-term relief but not a long-term fix, and urged work with municipal partners and grant programs to supplement county resources.
The county also approved submitting an application for the Rebuild Alabama Act Annual Grant Program 2026 and creating a Parks & Recreation Department that staff said will pursue grants. Commissioners said those grant-seeking efforts are part of a broader strategy to identify non‑county funding for infrastructure and community projects.
Next steps: County Engineer Glenn Peek will place transferred funds into district gas tax accounts and identify initial road maintenance projects; the Commission asked staff to pursue grant opportunities and report back with recommended projects.
