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Storms, staffing and shrinking gas-tax receipts strain Owen County road program
Summary
Storm damage and staffing shortages delayed patching work; highway officials outlined cleanup progress and asked commissioners for help with staffing, contractor quotes and communication to the public as auditors warned of gas-tax revenue dips.
County highway officials told commissioners storm damage has dominated the work schedule for the past two weeks, with crews focused on opening roads, removing debris and replacing damaged culverts. The superintendent said if there are no more major storms crews expect to start hole patching Monday, weather permitting.
Commissioners urged highway staff to provide a public list of roads to be worked so callers can be given an estimated schedule; staff agreed to publish an updated list to the county website and to coordinate radio announcements. Officials described the limitations created by manpower and fuel costs and discussed options to seek contractor quotes for heavy patching on seriously damaged roads such as Rocky Hill and Howard Road.
Auditor Sheila told the board the highway budget is constrained and flagged near-term drops in gas-tax revenue, saying the highway budget is approximately $3.4 million overall and that the county has requested an extra $4 million strictly for roads in hopes the state will supplement funding. "We're hoping they'll look at that favorably," a commissioner said; staff cautioned that July and August gas-tax receipts could be minimal, complicating summer repairs.
Commissioners emphasized transparency and asked staff to provide timelines and road lists to be posted publicly and to radio partners. The board scheduled a follow-up highway update at the next meeting.
