Stillwater NewsPress

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September 17, 2012

County commissioners finalize road-study plans

By Chris Day Stillwater NewsPress

STILLWATER, Okla. — Stillwater engineer Jimmy Hill will start criss-crossing Payne County soon as he begins a 90-day  road study.

Hill and Payne County commissioners agreed to the study's final details Monday. The study will help determine how road taxes are divided between districts 1 and 3.

Money from the county’s 3/8 cent sales tax had been evenly distributed between the districts for years. Earlier this year, commissioners voted 2-1 to give district 3 65 percent of the tax money with 35 percent going to district 1. District 1 commissioner Zach Cavett voted against the change. Commissioners Gloria Hesser and Jim Arthur voted for it.

The change proved controversial with city officials in district 3 protesting the decision at a commission meeting. Eventually, the Payne County Budget Board produced a compromise. Districts 1 and 3 will receive 35 percent of the tax money with 30 percent held in reserve until a road study is completed.

County commissioners sought proposals for a road study. Hill submitted the only proposal, which was accepted at the commission’s Sept. 10 meeting.

Monday, Hill and the commissioners finalized a road-rating system that assesses the road maintenance requirements, bridge repair needs and traffic counts in each district.

The weighting system will be based:

• 52 percent on road maintainence

• 15 percent on bridges in need of repair

• 33 percent on traffic count. Traffic count will be weighted as well because 18-wheelers do more damage to roads the cars and pickups, Cavett said.

 

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