http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-905207.mp3
Macomb, IL – As the old joke goes, there are two seasons in Illinois: Winter, and Road Construction. While that might not be exactly true, summer is upon us, and with it does indeed come road construction.
While there are many highways and byways that could use attention in McDonough County, county engineer Tom Hickman says there's simply not enough money to take care of all of them.
"Our motor fuel tax is shrinking," says Hickman. "Our costs have gone up, our motor fuel tax has gone down. It doesn't take an accountant to figure out that's a bad situation. It's like that all over rural Illinois, that's just the way it is."
Hickman says a crew of two people will spend a lot of time spray patching potholes around the county this summer, but other, larger projects will have to wait. He says Grant Street from Candy Ln. to U.S. Route 67 in Macomb remains a top priority, as does the Tennessee (or Blandinsville) Blacktop, which extends from Tennessee to Blandinsville.
But Hickman says such projects could cost anywhere from $1 million to $2 million -- money the county won't have for at least a couple of years.
Hickman says the motor fuel tax, or MFT, is a major source for funding road projects in Illinois. It adds about 18 cents to every gallon of gas purchased. That amount hasn't changed for 20 years.
"18 cents 20 years ago will buy you a lot more than it will today," says Hickman.
Hickman also explains that MFT revenues are not spent just on roads. He says many state agencies, departments and initiatives, many not related to roads or road construction, also receive a share of the revenue. By the time those deductions are taken, counties with a population of less than one million people split roughly ten percent of total revenues. In 2009, that amounted to a little more than $100 million.
McDonough County received roughly $470,000 in MFT funds this year. About half of that will go to salaries.