Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

Funding for the county’s roads is depleting, and Sanders County Commissioners are looking at approaching taxpayers next year with a mill levy to get more tax money.

The commissioners said last week that funding sources for roads have not been secured. The county has a choice of receiving federal funding from either the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) bill or 25 percent of forest management receipts in the county.

Two years ago, the county received $1.2 million in funding. With no funding from SRS, in 2017 the county received $161,000 in forest management revenue from the federal government. Commissioners were able to tap in to about $600,000 in reserve funds to make up the difference in the county road budget.

This year, neither funding source has come through, and commissioners are looking at options in how to fund the road districts.

“Without the mill levy and SRS, positions could be cut,” County Commissioner Glen Magera said last week.

The commissioners are currently reviewing the option of putting a mill levy on the primary ballot in June 2018 to raise about $500,000. Commissioners know it is difficult to get a levy passed with voters, but they also expressed that they have been through other options and a levy would be the last option.

“With roads, you have to do maintenance, or it gets even worse,” said Commissioner Tony Cox.

The commissioners also expressed that road districts need funding becasuse they have an oblication to proivde rafe routes for school buses. Magera said that they have cut the oil budget and combined road districts to save money, not replacing a foreman in Hot Springs.

Commissioner Carol Brooker said the lack of funding isn’t a scare tactic, “it’s fact.”