The DeKalb County Road Department got a big Christmas present this year after the DeKalb County Commission voted to award its remaining American Rescue Plan funds to go towards DeKalb County roads.
The vote took place at the DeKalb County Commission's regular monthly meeting, held last Thursday due to the Christmas holiday. The commission's ARP Committee had earlier voted to recommend the allocation of one million dollars of remaining funds to the local road department at the request of Road Supervisor Danny Hale.
The motion also included $65,000 in ARP funding toward a playground at the Belk Community Center, and $11,890 for repairs to the Midway Community Center. A proposal to move the County Complex Main office closer to the front door, using $20,000 in ARP money, will now be funded from the budget’s capital projects fund.
Commissioners Tom Chandler, Tony Luna, Tony (Cully) Culwell, Beth Pafford, Greg Matthews, Justin Adcock, Tim Reynolds, Sabrina Farler, and Daniel Cripps voted in favor of the motion, while Myron Rhody, Jeff Barnes, Susannah Cripps Daughtry, and Glynn Merriman voted "no." Commissioner Larry Green was not present at the meeting. Afterwards, Commissioner Tony Luna told the Smithville Review that during his election campaign, many expressed that road improvements were a top concern.
Road Supervisor Hale talked to the Smithville Review after the meeting saying, “I am honored, but what's going to be a bigger honor is that the citizens are going to be honored that this commission is helping with their roads,” Hale said. “Unless we get help from the commission, we are limited to what we can do because of revenue. It's nobody's fault; it's just the way it is. I am thankful to the commissioners who supported me in this, and it will be put to good use. All the money will be put into chipping roads.”
The Road Department is funded by allocations from state's gasoline and motor fuel tax, state aid program, and the petroleum special tax, as well as from a local mineral severance tax. The county currently kicks in .0326 cents of the local property tax rate which, according to the budget comes to about $196,597 a year. Hale has stated that $1 million would service said approximately 16 miles of roads in the county.
When asked what his highest priorities were as far as fixing roads, Hale said he has several roads in each district he hopes to work on. “I gave them (the Commission) a paper showing three roads in every district that were the worst roads, as far as my opinion, but that may change this winter because of the weather. Hopefully we can do roads in every district. That's my goal."
"What I look for is the most traveled roads with the most houses on it or the highest used roads," Hale explained. "That gives us more bang for your buck. I'm not trying to leave anybody out, but the most traveled roads are usually the worst because they deteriorate faster."
According to Hale, residents should not expect to see chip and tar projects right away. "During the winter I will prepare the roads to be tarred and chipped next summer” Hale said. “I will go in and replace tiles, clean ditches and do as much prep work as I can so that when warm weather returns, we are ready to roll out the tar and chip.”
With this allocation, the County Commission has now allocated its $3,979,942 it received from ARP funding. A total of $661,862 had already been allocated. Under ARP guidelines, all the money has to be obligated by December 31, 2024, and completely expended by the end of 2026.
In other business, the county commission adopted a budget amendment transferring $22,500 from the fund balance to county general to fund a fiscal agent/financial advisor Steve Bates of Guardian Advisors, LLC based in Hohenwald.
