POPULATION GROWTH STRAINS ROAD BUDGET

Increased growth in rural Cape Girardeau County is putting a strain on the county's road and bridge budget.

The county's road and bridge fund isn't large enough to support both maintenance and capital improvements, the county commission said in its first "state of the roads" report.

"Our budget is just basically for maintenance," Commissioner Larry Bock said Saturday.

With more than 420 miles of roads and 140 bridges to maintain, the budget is stretched to the limit, he said.

This year, the county will spend more than $1.8 million on roads and bridges.

The county's road and bridge fund has been underfunded for years, Bock said.

The county spends less on maintenance and capital improvements per mile than the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson and the Cape Special Road District, the report noted.

At the same time, the county's population has grown 24 percent over the past two decades, from 49,505 in 1970 to 61,633 in 1990. The largest growth, however, has been in the out-county area, where the population has climbed 46 percent.

"As a result, we have seen county roads with over 100 percent increase in the traffic they carry," the report said.

The road and bridge fund has routinely operated at a deficit since 1989. In 1990, the deficit was $283,000. In 1993, the deficit was almost $100,000.

County property taxes and a state gas tax generate most of the revenue for the fund.

Last year, the fund rebounded with a surplus of nearly $55,000. But Bock said that was because the county took money out of the county's capital fund to pay some of the expenses.

Bock wrote the report, which was reviewed by the other two county commissioners prior to being released Saturday.

The report said the commission must look at how it can fund future road and bridge projects.

Bock said the commissioners aren't recommending a tax hike at this time.

"We are just trying to do a lot of things to hold the spending down but yet keep our maintenance and repair to the county roads top-notch," he said.

The county has cut back on overtime in an effort to trim expenses.

"A new tax should be our last option, not our first option," Bock said.

The commission for the first time will establish a five-year capital improvements plan for roads and bridges. The plan will be updated annually.

The report recommends a capital improvements plan be developed for all county departments. The commission said such a plan would lead to better long-range planning and fiscal management.

It also calls for establishing a permanent highway committee to review county road and bridge projects, programs and priorities.

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY ROAD REPORT

The Cape Girardeau County Highway Department takes care of more than 420 miles of roads and 140 bridges. The department has 20 full-time employees.

Most of the roads are gravel. Of the 140 bridges, 61 are structurally deficient and nine others carry load restrictions.

Last year, the county spent $1.24 million or $2,937 per mile on road and bridge maintenance.

Cape Girardeau city spent $1.36 million or $6,888 a mile to maintain its 198 miles of roads and 17 bridges.

The Cape Special Road District spent $603,000 or $5,743 a mile to maintain 105 miles of roads and 36 bridges.

Jackson spent $389,000 or $5,403 a mile to maintain 72 miles of roads and nine bridges.

In capital improvements, the county spent $198,500 or $470 per mile last year. Most of the improvements went to bridge projects.

In contrast, Cape Girardeau city spent $2.26 million or $11,419 per mile; Jackson, $527,000 or $7,319 a mile; and Cape Special Road District, $96,000 or $914 a mile on road and bridge improvements.