Advocates argue aging county roads greatly need repair
The Will County Board is expecting to vote on implementing a 4- to 8-cent countywide gas tax next month, which supporters argue would greatly help county roads and bridges.
[Gene J. Puskar]Republicans on the board have come out against the tax, in part because the county’s transportation department is already getting more money from the state.The county will see a 68% increase in annual revenue because the state increased its own gas tax by 19 cents per gallon. Will County will also receive $23.4 million from a state bond program to be disbursed over three or six years for transportation needs.”Let’s see how many projects we can do with that before we start putting another tax on,” said Minority Leader Mike Fricilone, R-Homer Glen.Some residents have shared similar feelings about a new gas tax.One man expressed his frustration at a town hall meeting in Plainfield last month. He posed the idea of waiting a year or two to allow residents to absorb the blow of increased state taxes and fees.”Right now this year, it’s so over the top,” the man said. “The amount of tax burden has gone through the roof in one year.”[Eric Ginnard – eginnard@shawmedia.com]Still, board Democrats argued the county’s infrastructure needs are too great to put off the decision.Two years ago, the Will County Board approved its 20-year transportation plan to lay out its long-term infrastructure needs as the local population and economy continue to grow.But there is a $1.3 billion shortfall in the funding for the more than two dozen projects which are part of the plan, according to Jeff Ronaldson, the county’s director of transportation. The additional money from the state will reduce the shortfall by about 11%.Joe VanDuyne, D-Wilmington, who chairs the County Board Public Works and Transportation Committee, argued a county gas tax would provide a myriad of benefits in beginning to close that gap.Unlike the increased state gas tax that local drivers pay, nearly all of the revenue generated by a county gas tax would go to local projects. Plus, while increased truck traffic has been an annoyance to many residents, Democrats have argued a gas tax is one way logistics companies can pay to use county roads.If the county wanted to turn to the state or federal government for help on road projects, VanDuyne added, having adequate money on hand enhances the likelihood of the work getting done.”We have a lot of roads to fix,” he said.[Eric Ginnard – eginnard@shawmedia.com]Democrats also argued that time is of the essence, as Will County’s roads continue to age and repair costs increase with each passing year. Two-thirds of county roads are over 50 years old, with some roads more than 80 years old.”At what point do you say that’s irresponsible government?” said Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet.VanDuyne added the county needs to be proactive to address the need. He said he doesn’t want another situation where the public is concerned, as it has been about the Interstate 80 bridge over the Des Plaines River.Ultimately, he said, public safety is vital to the conversation. VanDuyne doesn’t want drivers, especially the elderly and younger drivers like his teenage daughter, to have to use crumbling roads.”I would not be doing my job as a county official,” he said. “I would rather pay the extra $30 per year.”The county board will next discuss the gas tax at its finance committee meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3. If the committee passes the tax, the full board will vote at its Dec. 19 meeting at 9:30 a.m. at the county building.
