Snow Buries County Maintenance Budget

Spokane County spent so much money plowing roads in 1996 it may not have enough left for preventive maintenance in 1997.

And while today’s potholes will be filled, “we’re sowing the fields for more potholes” in the future, said county engineer Bill Johns.

Heavy snow early and late in 1996 forced Johns to overspend his road maintenance budget by $1.6 million. He has to pay that back from his $13.2 million budget for 1997.

Spokane County commissioners said this week they’ll try to make cuts elsewhere, rather than delay some maintenance on the county’s 3,000 miles of roads.

If commissioners fail, Johns said, unpaved roads will get less fresh gravel than they need to stay smooth.

And fewer paved roads will get a coating of sealant that helps prevent potholes.

The only alternative, Johns said, is to cut some road construction projects. But that means giving up the federal and state money that covers much of the cost of construction.

Depending on the project, “we use three, four, five times as much outside money as local money,” Johns said.

By the time the county again has enough money to cover its share of road construction, Congress and the Legislature might not offer help, he said.

, DataTimes