Sanders County Ledger - Your Best Source For Sanders County News

The Sanders County Commissioners know that change has to happen. Funding sources are changing or have stopped altogether. County offices are short-staffed as it is. The Secure Rural Schools funding for roads didn’t come through last year. Luckily, the county had some reserves that could be used.

This year, that funding still isn’t there. The commissioners have tightened budgets, have trimmed where they can, and made staffing changes where possible.

We believe the commissioners have done all they can with what they have. But it’s still not enough to fund the county’s road department.

Now the commissioners are considering going to the voters with a mill levy next year. It means an increase in taxes for residents not in city limits. It could mean your road district taxes almost double. It’s surely not the first choice for taxpayers, but at this point, it’s the last option.

We appreciate all that the commissioners are doing to keep the county going and solve the road district funding issue. We appreciate that they are reviewing options to make the county more efficient, and keeping an eye on the bottom line.

If it does come down to commissioners asking for additional tax money for the roads, we are confident they will do so as a last resort.