SCOTT COUNTY FARMERS SEEK INFORMATION ON DITCH MAINTENANCE

BENTON -- The Scott County Commission wants to get out of the county's ditches.

A group of farmers met with commissioners Thursday morning to discuss some ditches that run along their property that they said are not being maintained.

The ditches are a part of the county's drainage system but aren't in a drainage district. That means less money is available to maintain them and they are not as frequently maintained as consolidated areas.

Commissioners said they told the farmers it would be in their best interest to meet with Scott County Circuit Judge Anthony Heckemeyer to begin the process of consolidation.

Presiding Commissioner Bob Kielhofner said there are four consolidated drainage districts in the county. All four have boards that maintain ditches in their districts.

They also collect a lot more money.

Consolidated District 1 took in about $46,000 in tax money last year. Individual ditch districts collected about $3,000 last year. The two areas that were discussed Thursday had collected about $7,000 in tax revenue.

"You're not going to get a whole lot done with that," Commissioner Dewaine Shaffer said.

The tax money is collected by the county then dispersed to the four cosolidated boards for maintenance of their areas.

Shaffer said he would prefer that all of the individual districts consolidate and form their own boards. It would enable farmers to handle the problems in their areas quickly and more efficiently.

Shaffer said the consolidated areas were able to restructure their districts to include a larger area with a wider tax base. He said the burden of maintaining the ditches shouldn't fall on just those whose property they connect with.

"It doesn't matter if you live in the town or not, your water's got to drain someplace. When it runs off, it's got to go somewhere," Shaffer said.

He said the local boards could also maintain the areas better because they would be governed by the people who live and work there.

He said districts could be set up using already established boundaries like Interstate 55 and Highway 61.

"Our system is obsolete; it has to be redone," Shaffer said.