Cape county road and bridge board hunts for more money

For nearly two hours Monday night, members of the Cape Girardeau County road and bridge advisory board combed through a recap of the 2008 road projects with one goal in mind: paving more roads in 2009.

The county spent more than $1.9 million to improve about 14 miles of road this year. Another seven miles were ready for grading, but the work would cost $560,000. Only $116,080 remains available in the county paving account funded by Proposition 1.

County Treasurer Roger Hudson delivered a spreadsheet showing actual figures from proposition revenue to date, as well as estimates for November and December, which, if they bear out, will put the hard surface fund more than $14,369 in the red.

"We have 33 miles of roads ready to be paved," said Larry Payne, the advisory board chairman. He wants to figure out a way to move some of the $1 million sequestered in the county highway department's budget to the paving account.

Advisory board members Dale Kester and David Blumenberg pointed out that, if the road projects were completed, the county would find a way to pay the bills.

Fellow board member Ken Evans, while agreeing with their frustration, said he didn't want to see the county take on more debt.

"It's like saying you know the mule is going blind, and saying 'Let's load up the mule even more!'" he said.

He asked Scott Bechtold, the county highway administrator, if proposition money could be extended by having country crews prepare all the roads, instead of hiring contractors.

"The profit motive is a wonderful thing," Bechtold said. "You can get more done by giving bonuses. But I can't give my men a bonus when they do a wonderful job. The public would say, 'That's what they get paid for, to bust their rears.' There is a difference."

Payne said the key "is trying to figure out how to get money from [the county highway department] into hard surfacing" and that it would take a longer discussion. The board agreed to put it on the next meeting agenda.

Payne, Evans and several other board members also made plans to review two chip and seal roads.

"It's not the chip and seal that's bad. It's the base," Payne said.

The next advisory board meeting is 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at the county administration building, 1 Barton Square in Jackson.

pmcncihol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127