Chenango highway budget stretched thin
NORWICH – Prices are up on everything in the county’s highway department, and there seems to be no solution to the problem, Harry W. Conley, Chenango County Public Works Committee chairman, said last Thursday.
In addition, there are unsafe road conditions, people driving at higher rates of speed, and more traffic on roadways. In order to do his job efficiently, DPW Director Randy Gibbon said he’d have to increase the highway budget by more than $300,000.
“That’s to get the same buying power as I had last year ... What’s going to happen in 2007? I never worried about my materials budget before July before. I’ve had to cut back already,” he said. The 2006 highway budget is $2.3 million.
Several of the town supervisors who make up the eight-member standing committee concurred, saying their highway equipment and materials budgets were stretched thin as well.
In his report to the full Board of Supervisors next month, Gibbon will outline a comparison of price changes that include an increase of 49 percent for clear diesel fuel, 37 percent increase for traffic zone paint and 25 percent increase for hot mix asphalt. Gibbon said he is forced to make the increase from his 2005 budget to cover materials for road widening, road maintenance, bridge maintenance, fuel and new equipment.
“To sustain a safe and economical highway infrastructure system, more funding is needed. But along with the funding, this department must repair and re-construct the highway infrastructure in an economical and effective way. The Chenango County Summary Report is one of the tools that will assist this department in doing just that,” the report reads.
In addition, there are unsafe road conditions, people driving at higher rates of speed, and more traffic on roadways. In order to do his job efficiently, DPW Director Randy Gibbon said he’d have to increase the highway budget by more than $300,000.
“That’s to get the same buying power as I had last year ... What’s going to happen in 2007? I never worried about my materials budget before July before. I’ve had to cut back already,” he said. The 2006 highway budget is $2.3 million.
Several of the town supervisors who make up the eight-member standing committee concurred, saying their highway equipment and materials budgets were stretched thin as well.
In his report to the full Board of Supervisors next month, Gibbon will outline a comparison of price changes that include an increase of 49 percent for clear diesel fuel, 37 percent increase for traffic zone paint and 25 percent increase for hot mix asphalt. Gibbon said he is forced to make the increase from his 2005 budget to cover materials for road widening, road maintenance, bridge maintenance, fuel and new equipment.
“To sustain a safe and economical highway infrastructure system, more funding is needed. But along with the funding, this department must repair and re-construct the highway infrastructure in an economical and effective way. The Chenango County Summary Report is one of the tools that will assist this department in doing just that,” the report reads.
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