Marshall County Commissioner Stan Klotz asked the other two commissioners, Kevin Overmyer and Mike Burroughs to support a motion to consider a $2 million increase to the highway budget for 2021 during Monday’s commissioner meeting.
Klotz said, “Based on the fact now that we have the top highway superintendent in the state and we have one of the top highway departments in the state, and in past years we’ve had to shut down (road improvements) early because we run out of money. I make a motion that we at least consider, with council’s approval, looking to make a plan with a couple million dollars or more in road funding to see what we could do with it and what it would look like.” He reiterated in the meeting, with council’s approval to look and see what more funding could do.
He asked for support from the other two commissioners to look at a plan. Kevin Overmyer asked where the $2 million in funding would come from and Klotz said there are multiple options that they could discuss Thursday morning in the joint work session that Council president Tim Harmon has called.
Commissioner Mike Burroughs said, “Until we have a plan of where the money is coming from, I can’t second the motion.” He went on to say, “Here’s my problem. While I agree that our roads need improved, I don’t want to create a problem somewhere else by solving one problem. I don’t think that’s fair or responsible to the taxpayers to say okay we are going to fix your roads but then we are going to have to create a tax over here to increase the revenue. So until we have a plan on how we are going to do items I can’t second it.”
Commissioner Klotz said, “I will tell you we don’t have to raise taxes to do it.”
The motion Commissioner Klotz made to look at a road plan with an additional $2 million died for the lack of a second.
