Gage County moves forward on $5.64 million road bond and awards major overlay contract

The Gage County Board of Supervisors completed a year of steps to finance and begin repaving county roads after voters approved a $5.64 million bond in a June 11, 2013 special election.

The board adopted the necessary authorizing documents and sale terms and issued Highway Allocation Fund Pledge Bonds, Series 2013, to provide cash for a multi‑segment overlay program. The county secured underwriting and bond counsel and directed that Highway Allocation Fund receipts be pledged to pay principal and interest. The board also approved post‑issuance tax compliance procedures required to preserve the tax‑exempt status of the bonds.

With financing in place, the board solicited bids for a multi‑segment overlay program. After reviewing bids with the county highway superintendent and the project engineer, the county awarded the road‑overlay contract to Constructors, Inc., the low bidder, for $4,014,437.70. The contract sets a construction completion target in 2014 and covers the segments listed in the bond program.

Why it matters: The package is the county’s largest single year road investment in recent memory and is intended to preserve miles of paved county roads without raising the general property tax levy beyond the special levy approved by voters for the bond if needed. The overlay contract follows the county’s previously adopted One‑and‑Six Year Highway Improvement Plan and an effort to use federal NDOR programs for bridges where appropriate.

What’s next: The highway department and engineer will finalize construction schedules and hold pre‑construction coordination with the contractor and affected landowners. The county treasurer and clerk will continue to account for bond receipts and debt service as required by state law and the bond documents.