County Court OK's bridge funds
Monday, December 11, 2006 10:43 AM PST
Larry Meyer | Argus Observer
VALE
The lingering issue of how to pay for county roads emerged last week during the Malheur County Court's regular session as the court approved a measure to provide funds to help pay for a bridge over a canal as part of a project to extend Stanton Boulevard to the east to connect to Oregon Highway 201.
The County Court approved the $40,000 pay-out for the bridge project Wednesday.
Stanton Boulevard now dead ends approximately one mile short of the highway, according to officials of Rural Road Assessment No. 3, which maintains the county roads in the Ontario area. The extension is an important project for both the county and the road district, particularly with the arrival of the Snake River Correctional Institution. The project is touted by many as a way to provide a straighter and safer connection from the prison to Oregon Highway 201 for the employees who live in Weiser, and others who use that route, than the existing narrow roads.
Ken Freese, county roadmaster, said he was told by his predecessor, the late Jim Silence, that the money for the project had already been committed by the county and would come out of the county's bridge fund.
“We're ready to get the ball rolling,” Bob Cruickshank, Malheur County Road District member, said.
Freese said while he had no problem with the request, the question is how the money could be paid back.
“All of our costs have gone up,” he said.
Malheur County Surveyor/Engineer Jim Kimberling said up until the early 1990s the bridge fund received about 10 percent of the gas tax revenue from the state, before it was divided up among the county road departments and the road districts. He said the practice ended when the money started to become tight.
“I would like to see the road built,” Malheur County Commissioner Louis Wettstein said.
Freese also expressed concern about the continued funding of the “county payments law,” which many counties count on to help pay for roads.
While Malheur County does not benefit directly from the payments - since the annuities are based on historical timber receipts - it could be hurt if the program is cut because it would put more pressure on other resources to help pay for county roads.
In an statement released by Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's office Thursday, it announced that Wyden, D-Oregon, and U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, R-Oregon, were filing amendments to authorized a one-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, also known as the county payments law. The proposal by the lawmakers would provide a revenue stream by withholding federal taxes from payments the federal government makes to contractors providing goods and services.
The government does not withhold tax on payments to government contractors and a study by the Government Accountability Office found that a large number of contractors have never paid their federal taxes.
However, Congress adjourned without extending county payments.
