PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Small towns in South Dakota say they are strapped for cash after historically bad flooding last year and are asking the Legislature to let them use money from the state’s gas taxes for road repairs.
A bill from Sen. Brock Greenfield, a Clark Republican, would use money from the state’s motor fuel tax and the Department of Transportation to create a $2.4 million fund that townships could tap for road repairs. But cities, counties, the Department of Transportation, and other programs argue that it would take money away from repairs they need to make.
The Senate Local Government Committee passed the bill on a 4-3 vote Wednesday. The bill would designate the funds for repairing culverts and small structures like bridges. Lawmakers said they want the full Senate to consider the proposal, hoping it would spark further discussion on how to help towns fund road repairs.
Sen. Jordan Youngberg, a Republican from Chester, voted against the bill, saying it was “sweeping,” but he acknowledged that the state needs to do something to prepare for spring weather that could further damage roads.
“With spring coming, I think there’s going to be a discussion going on in our state with how we’re going to take care of our roads,” said Youngberg.
Many areas flooded as the state recorded a record-level amount of precipitation last year. South Dakota received four presidential disaster declarations. The Oglala Sioux Tribe, located on the Pine Ridge Reservation, also received one.
The Association of Towns and Townships said communities that are part of the group have struggled to maintain and repair roads for many years and that they should have been getting a bigger piece of the funds from the beginning.
Dustin Leiseth, the association’s president, called the reallocation a “necessity in rural South Dakota.” Even with disaster declaration funding, towns still have to pay for 15% of repairs. This has stretched many town budgets that don’t have large reserves.
Leiseth noted that 22% of vehicle miles driven in the state are on roads maintained by the towns. He also said towns have seen an increase in use by hunters and fishers. He said that about 20% of town roads are in need of maintenance or repairs.
Some locals residents have even repaired roads themselves. Calvin Mosch, a farmer from Clear Lake, said he fixed a mile of road near his property so he could transport his crops and cattle.
Opponents of the bill said it would take money from repairs and programs that are just as cash-strapped.
Angela Ehlers, the director of the Association of Conservation Districts, said the funding from the fuel tax was settled in 2011. Conservation districts help maintain soil quality and other natural resources across the state and receive funding from fuel tax. Ehlers said there is at least one conservation district teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
Transportation Secretary Darin Bergquist said the proposal would move funds “from the highest volume roads to the lowest volume roads.”
The bill will next be considered by the Senate.
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