County highway department big winner in budget

By Eddie West

Staff Writer

The big winner in the county’s 2022-2023 fiscal year budget is the county highway department.

During the next fiscal year, the county’s road department is estimated to receive more than two million dollars set aside in a special “Highway Capital Projects” account, designated specifically to address the county’s deteriorating road conditions.

Money from the account will be used by the county highway department for county road improvements, equipment purchases and engineering for county road projects, according to county officials.

After being approved by the full commission Monday night (June 27), the budget allows $1.5 million in Federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Funds to be placed in the Highway Capital Projects account.

In addition, the county highway department will also receive 17 cents from the County General Fund which will specifically be dedicated to the Highway Capital Projects account, according to county officials. The 17 cents is estimated to generate another approximately $1 million in the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget (which runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023), according to county officials.

The ARP funds and the 17 cents from the County General Fund is a one-time contribution of funds, according to county officials.

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