County roads stable, but more money needed

• Coshocton County Engineer's Office plans to pave 13.08 miles of road in 2015 for $1.8 million.
• Engineer office funding has decreased from $4.3 million in 2007 to $4 million in 2015.
• Primary funding for the engineer's office comes from state gas taxes and license plate fees.

COSHOCTON – A change in funding models is the main way Coshocton County Engineer Fred Wachtel thinks dwindling funding can be reversed for his office.

His budget comes primarily from state gas taxes and license plate fees, which have decreased since 2007. The budget for the engineer's office has dropped from about $4.3 million in 2007 to around $4 million this year.

While the situation for bridges, roads and equipment is stable, according to Wachtel's annual report, he frets about the future. No bridges or roads are in critical condition in the county, and the number listed in poor or fair condition for 2014 decreased from 2013 thanks to upgrades.

However, about 23 percent of the engineer's office budget for 2015, $900,000, is earmarked to pave only 3.7 percent of the 350 miles of road maintained by the department. Paving and chip/sealing of 13.08 miles of road targeted for this year will cost $1.8 million, with the remaining funds coming from grants. That includes $1 million for paving County Road 16 between Coshocton and West Lafayette, one of the most traveled roads in the county.

Wachtel said the main reason for the funding decrease is the increase in electric and hybrid cars and conventional vehicles getting better gas mileage. He doesn't knock improvements in automotive technology, but if people are using less gas while still using the roads as much or more than they did before, then the gas tax is no longer a good way to regulate road usage.

Wachtel has said for years he would like to see a change where people are somehow taxed for the actual miles they drive, which he thinks could easily be done with GPS technology. However, he understands people might see that as government intrusion by tracking their movements.

Wachtel has discussed the idea with legislators in the past, but there are no initiatives to implement it at this time or to examine the engineer office funding models. A main reason for that, Wachtel said, is counties with major municipalities such as Columbus and Cleveland are keeping pace with license plate fees thanks to a greater number of drivers. In smaller, rural areas such as Coshocton, which has fewer registered vehicles, the gas tax makes up more of the annual budget.

"Something has to give. Either the state and federal legislators need to say 'Hey, we need to put more sand in these guys' sandboxes because they don't have the money to do the things they're doing now,' or say 'We're going to explain to everyone we're underfunding these operations, so don't call and complain to them about your roads not being paved, we're not providing the resources we should be,' " Wachtel said.

The only other way Wachtel can think of increasing funding is to seek a road improvement levy from voters. He doesn't see that going well as other counties have failed with the tactic recently. In 2014, a 1.5 mill levy for road work and a $5 increase to license fees were voted down by residents in Guernsey County.

The city of Coshocton passed a levy for road paving and repairs last spring, with funding coming in for it starting this year. The county engineer's office doesn't see any of that funding, as it's a separate entity from the city street department and maintains a different set of roads.

llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com

740-295-3417

Twitter: @llhayhurst

2015 road projects

In addition to the projects below, $100,00 is earmarked for road spot paving in various townships.

Source: Coshocton County Engineer's Office