County Commissioner Nancy Robinson said Tuesday she would urge her fellow board members to reconsider how Department of Public Works money is used, distributing some of the hundreds of thousands of dollars collected each year toward landscape improvements when limerock roads are improved. Robinson's call for a tax review came after commissioners agreed to provide and maintain sod along Casson Road. Residents living along Casson Road recently agreed to Municipal Service Benefits Unit fees to pave their limerock road. The board agreed to plant sod along the road and maintain the grass at the county's expense.
Residents wanting to pave dirt roads typically use MSBUs to pay for the work.
But Robinson said taxpayers living along limerock roads pay taxes supporting projects seldom improving the roads near their homes. It's an issue of equity. Robinson said that most limerock roads about to be paved for the first time already have vegetation along the roads and additional sod could be strategically placed to keep costs to a minimum. But County Administrator Paul McIntosh warned the board that by providing sod for Casson Road, other residents paving their roads would likely expect the same treatment. Commissioner Diane Rowden also warned that taxpayers could end up paying for sod and maintenance work along other newly paved roads.