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June 6, 2009

County may take over state road

Offer, needed levy hike before board

BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL

DANVILLE — Vermilion County Board members must decide Tuesday night if taking charge of a road from the state is worth the cost to taxpayers.

The state’s Department of Transportation is asking Vermilion County to take over jurisdiction and maintenance of the Fairmount-Sidell Road, otherwise known as County Road 600 East. According to the offer, the state is offering the county $4.5 million as part of the deal to repair the road.

But it’s what will come after those $4 million in repairs that is expected to garner attention from residents throughout the county. A tax levy increase is included as part of the proposed resolution to take on the road.

“I’m not going to take a road that we can’t afford to pay for,” said County Board Chairman Jim McMahon. “If we take the road, we must raise the taxes.”

Specifically, the county highway tax levy will be increased if the move is approved, upping the levy from 8.647 to 9.845 cents. The hike will hike the funds brought in by the levy to $820,000, raising the $100,000 expected to be needed to maintain the road in the years following the $4.6 million in repairs.

The proposed resolution is getting particular attention for who is bringing it to the board. Longtime state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, will lay out the resolution to the board on Tuesday. Black was at one time the chairman of the Vermilion County Board.

Black contacted McMahon on Thursday asking to bring the resolution before the board. However, it will take a motion and second by board members to bring the proposal to the floor for a vote.

If the resolution is not brought to the floor for a vote, the issue dies.

McMahon said he expects the state to spend about $850,000 to simply patch the well-worn road if the county does to take over jurisdiction.

The road, like many in the area, took a beating during freezing and thawing of the most recent winter. Residents complained of large potholes and damage to their vehicles as a result of the poor road conditions. State transportation crews were out on Fairmount-Sidell Road, among others, filling potholes during the winter.

The resolution also states if the County Board District 3 representatives believe taking over the road justifies the levy increase, then the county board “in total supports and endorses the same.”

Bill Grubb of Danville, Rick Knight of Indianola and Steve Fourez of Fairmount could not be reached Saturday afternoon for comments as to the resolution and how they expect to vote on Tuesday.

McMahon said he would the issue if the state would repair the road in the proper manner and then turn it over to the county’s jurisdiction.

“I would even vote yes on the tax levy increase because it’s that important to the people in that area,” he said, adding that the county can not simply take on the expensive situation without preparation.

The county already maintains more than 150 miles of road in Vermilion County.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Vermilion County Board meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the second floor of the courthouse annex, 6 N. Vermilion St.

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