The Road Commission for Oakland County was told in a July 20 meeting it will receive additional funds from the Michigan Department of Transportation, allowing most routine maintenance of state highways to resume.
‘We were told that MDOT is providing us with $50,000 immediately to cover the most critical activities, and an additional $1 million to cover routine maintenance in August and September,? RCOC Managing Director Brent Bair said in a July 20 news release.
Bair said MDOT also committed to working with RCOC to ensure that commission does not run out of money for state road maintenance in the future.
‘Had this additional money not come through, we were considering the possibility of laying off employees,? said Bair.
For the 2004/2005 fiscal year (Oct. 1 ? Sept. 30), RCOC received $9.7 million from MDOT for maintenance on state roads in Oakland County. This service includes pothole patching, mowing, sweeping, litter pickup, guardrail repair, traffic signal repair, shoulder maintenance and drainage repair.
This year the harsh winter put an unanticipated strain on the budget causing funds to run out initially in early May. MDOT provided additional funds that allowed RCOC to continue routine maintenance until June 22.
‘We don’t blame MDOT for this problem,? stated Bair. ‘This is a symptom of a much larger issue, namely Michigan’s inability or unwillingness to adequately fund its roads. We have been in the bottom 10 states in the nation in per capita state and local road funding since at least 1964. We are seeing the results of that on many levels. This is just one.?
Bair explained that the budgeted amount provided by MDOT to maintain state highways has not increased in more than three years, while all expenses related to the work have.
Bair also reiterated that RCOC can not legally use its own funding to maintain state roads. With no guarantee of reimbursement, RCOC’s only legal option was to halt maintenance on state roadways.
Kent and Genesee counties, who also ran out of money, received additional MDOT funding as well.