Cape Girardeau County behind in plan for paving roads

Cape Girardeau County's plan to pave 53 miles of county roads by 2012 may have been too ambitious.

So far, only 19.4 miles are done; the county commission promised in June 2007 to pave 35 miles of road by the end of 2008. This year, county highway administrator Scott Bechtold told the commissioners and members of the road and bridge advisory board, some projects cost more because of rising oil prices, which affected everything from shipping costs to oil-based supplies such as asphalt. The cost of paving a mile of road has nearly doubled since 2006.

Members of the road and bridge advisory commission said Monday they are still hearing questions from county residents who want to know when their roads will be paved. The board members expressed frustration that the paving plan is moving forward more slowly than expected. The county's hard-surface fund, which pays for paving projects, is overdrawn. But bills for $153,228.41 more than was budgeted for hard-surfacing this year will be paid, Bechtold told the advisory board.

When advisory board members asked if money from the road and bridge account, which pays for road maintenance and other highway administration costs, could be put into the hard-surfacing account to pay for additional paving, they were told the county commission must make that decision.

Road and bridge advisory board members questioned Bechtold and country Treasurer Roger Hudson closely over the two accounts, which are among those listed under Proposition 1 disbursements.

The half-cent Proposition 1 tax, approved in 2006, replaced a road and bridge property tax.

The county is required to continue funding entities, such as the Cape Special Road District and communities such as Jackson and Delta, what they would have received from a property tax. At the end of the year, 26 percent of the total Proposition 1 revenue will be paid to municipalities. As of Tuesday, the county has received $5.3 million, which will increase with November and December receipts.

Payment estimates for this year are $1.6 million to the Cape Special Road District, $1.25 million for the road and bridge fund, $113,400 to be divided among municipalities and $177,000 for corporate tax rebates to Procter & Gamble and Buchheit. Funds left over after those disbursements are equally split between the hard-surface fund and the sheriff's department, which will receive an estimated $1.3 million each this year. The hard-surface fund benefited from $223,895 at the beginning of the year, money from interest on the county account and surplus from the sheriff's Proposition 1 account.

Hudson said Wednesday that Proposition 1 revenue is slightly behind projections for this year but that because the tax is relatively new, making accurate projections is difficult.

He said it was understandable that the advisory board members would be puzzled because they developed a good plan and "they are being responsible in their duties to the citizens. But they can't build the roads and they can't build the budget."

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

388-3646

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