Vernon County Highway Commissioner Phil Hewitt will report on the condition of county roads at a community supper slated for Wednesday, Oct. 18, in Westby.
“Everything you hear about the bad condition of Wisconsin roads in true,” Hewitt said. “If the legislature doesn’t step up and get a handle on ways to better fund our infrastructure, we will soon be in a hole we can’t get out of.”
The state budget signed by Gov. Scott Walker on Sept. 21 does not include a long-term solution for Wisconsin roads.
Vernon County has gone on record supporting a responsible increase in the Wisconsin gas tax. The Vernon County Highway Committee and Board of Supervisors passed a resolution July 25 urging a gas tax measure to adequately and sustainably fund the state’s transportation.
The line item for rural roads in the governor’s proposed budget would amount to the money to fix about four blocks per county, said Vernon County Board Chairman Dennis Brault.
“The idea is not to borrow,” he said. “About one quarter of every gas tax dollar from Vernon County goes to debt payment rather than fixing roads. If we raised the gas tax 15 cents, that would fully fund the state’s transportation needs without any additional borrowing.”
“Vernon County used to pave 15–18 miles of road per year; now it’s 6–8 miles. We seal-coated 30–40 miles, now it’s 22 miles. And our new roads cycle, formerly every 25–30 years, is now 53 years,” Brault said.
“Without adequate state funding for transportation, and with local municipalities blocked by state legislature from increasing taxes or fees, Wisconsin roads continue to age and decline,” said Betty Kruck, chairperson of the Vernon Dems’ Issues Committee, which has researched the Wisconsin roads issue. “Wisconsin roads are rated among the worst in the nation, and in a county-by-county comparison prepared by the Legislative Audit Bureau, state highways in western Wisconsin rank among the worst in the state. More and more of our transportation dollars are going for debt payments rather than to fixing our roads.”
The free supper, which is open to the public, will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Westby Library Community Room, 206 N. Main St. Chile and toppings will be provided. Carry-in sides and desserts are optional.
The community supper is the fourth held in communities throughout the county this year by the Vernon County Democratic Party.