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NEWPORT – The Pend Oreille County Public Works Department, responsible for 561 miles of county roads, has been cost cutting due to an increase in expenses and a decrease in revenues.
Split into 295 miles of paved road and 266 miles of gravel roadways, the department’s $687,500 budget this year is below their previous three years in maintaining county roads.
In 2019, the cost of equipment purchases was $303,590 increasing 37% in four years to $417,426 in 2023. The cost of paving has increased from $59.62 per ton of hot mix asphalt to $76.25 per ton in 2023.
To pay for this, the major sources of revenue are property taxes and vehicle fuel taxes. The motor vehicle fuel tax has steadily declined for the last five years, according to Pend Oreille Public Works Director Craig Jackson.
The result from an increase in expenses and a decrease in revenue has been the implementation of a cost saving measure. In 2023, three paved roads at just under one mile were reverted back to gravel. In 2024, three paved roads at 1.3 miles will be reverted back to gravel.
Increasing dedicated revenue for road maintenance is imperative, stated Jackson.
