By Justin Schneider, Herald Bulletin Online Reporter/Manager
ANDERSON, Ind. — The proof is in the pavement.
With a year of perspective, Madison County commissioners say the decision to create a countywide wheel tax was the right one. Painful as it may have been.
“We took a lot of heat for that,” said Commissioner Paul Wilson, D-South District. “Those dollars have gone directly into the road surface. This has been a promise kept.”
On Tuesday, during its first meeting of 2010, the board heard a report from County Engineer Chuck Leser on the funds generated by the $25-per-vehicle tax and how those dollars have been spent.
According to Leser, the wheel tax raised $2.95 million during the 2009 calendar year, with $1.32 million going to the Madison County wheel tax fund and another $1.64 million distributed among 15 incorporated areas. Anderson received the most, $1.05 million, followed by Elwood ($176,5855), Alexandria ($107,966), Pendleton ($81,147) and Chesterfield ($49,022)
Leser said Madison County spent $675,000, or roughly half of the funds it received.
“Our goal was to get it started and to let it build up this year,” Leser said. “We paved 25 miles this (past) fall and in 2010 we have about 20 miles to pave left over that the weather forced us to extend to next year.”
Road materials for the Madison County Highway Department — specifically, stone and oil for chip and seal projects — accounted for $500,000. Designs for a five-mile stretch of County Road 800 North to be resurfaced next year represent $100,000, designs for $3 million worth of paving in 2009 and 2010 comprise another $60,000, and a joint paving project with Elwood accounts for $15,000.
Leser said he expects the wheel tax will continue to generate around $130,000 a year. And given the recent constriction of local government budgets and anticipated cuts in motor vehicle highway funds at the state level, he expects Madison County will continue to derive maximum value from the funds.
“I really think we have maximized these dollars as much as we can to get a big return back,” Leser said. “We’re really putting it on the road.”
Contact Justin Schneider: 640-4809, justin.schneider@heraldbulletin.com
Wheel tax
Funds generated by the Madison County wheel tax in 2009: $2.95 million
Disbursement
Madison County wheel tax fund: $1.32 million
Anderson: $1.05 million
Elwood: $176,585
Alexandria: $107,966
Pendleton: $81,147
Chesterfield: $49,022
Edgewood: $37,921
Frankton: $36,449
Lapel: $33,569
Summitville: $27,470
Ingalls: $23,263
Orestes: $7,398
Markleville: $7,084
Country Club Heights: $1,772
Woodlawn Heights: $968
River Forest: $502
— Source: Madison County Engineer
