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Highway superintendent flags Bridge Project 197 shortfall, salt overage and paving plans
Summary
Highway Superintendent Jerry Ault told the Jackson County Council on Feb. 18 that additional appropriations will be needed after the county exceeded its guaranteed salt allotment and Bridge Project 197 requires about $44,000 more to meet DNR wetland/channel credit requirements; the council agreed not to pursue a wheel tax this year.
Highway Superintendent Jerry Ault told the Jackson County Council on Feb. 18 that the Highway Department will request additional appropriations after this winter’s work.
Ault said the county exceeded its 120% guaranteed salt allotment; the county later received an extra 250 tons but officials expect appropriation requests related to salt purchases. He reported that Bridge Project 197 needs an additional approximately $44,000 to satisfy new Indiana Department of Natural Resources wetland and channel credit requirements—about $8,000 for wetlands credits and $36,000 for channel credits. Ault also noted the county anticipates paving 40–41 miles in 2026 and is evaluating slurry seal as a future maintenance strategy.
Ault described snow-removal operations that required 12–14-hour shifts and said local farmers volunteered to help when contractors pushed snow into roadways. Council members and the superintendent agreed the county’s current strategy permits continued progress without implementing a wheel tax for now. The minutes record these items as reports; no appropriation vote or ordinance was taken at the Feb. 18 meeting.
