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Director Bolling outlines budget, warns more revenue needed; 0.25% ballot measure noted
Summary
Director Bolling presented last fiscal year’s road budget, reported remaining balances and told commissioners the department lacks funds to finish all calendar projects; he said a proposed 0.25% ballot measure could raise roughly $2.4–$2.7 million annually.
Director Bolling presented the fiscal portion of the roads report and walked commissioners through last fiscal year’s line items and carryover adjustments. He said the road department’s operating line (10205) had an initial appropriation of "$12,018,230" and that the adjusted appropriation for the year was "$14,105,228," citing salary, benefits and capital‑outlay variances that left several projects incomplete.
Bolling said the department typically tries to keep a "$2,000,000" rainy‑day balance for emergency events and noted that without increased revenue some calendar projects will be delayed. He reviewed revenue options and referenced a diesel‑tax ballot question that was rejected at a recent primary, then said staff "could really use the 0.25 percent that we're requesting on the November ballot because that will actually generate a substantial increase in funding for the road department"—an amount he estimated at "2.4 to 2,700,000 a year." Bolling said that level of revenue would substantially increase the county's chip‑seal capacity.
Commissioners and staff discussed the political difficulty of passing new taxes and noted the county's limited options under current state law; Bolling said the department will continue to pursue grants and other revenue sources where feasible.
