Jefferson and Clallam counties have fallen behind in road maintenance for the last couple of years, say officials, pointing to both the soaring price of chip-seal oil and the loss of federal timber subsidy money.
Monte Reinders, Jefferson County engineer, said the cost of chip-seal oil, used for road maintenance, has risen from $210 a ton to $560 a ton since 2005.
Reinders said Jefferson County had been chip-sealing between 30 and 40 miles of road a year about three years ago.
That number has dropped to about 10 miles a year for the last three years, he said.
Ross Tyler, Clallam County engineer, said that the number of miles has changed from about 70 annually to between 20 and 30 within the same time span.
The state Department of Transportation and all counties are facing the same problems where you just can’t do nearly what you use to,” Reinders said.
From 2000 through 2007, both counties received federal aid to make up for losses in logging revenue that occurred since the 1980s, known as the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-determination Act
Clallam County received $980,000 a year while Jefferson County received $1.3 million a year.
“We are losing on both ends,” Tyler said.
“Our costs are going up, and our revenue is going down.”
Reinders said that, because of budget shortfalls, the county has cut seven staff positions in Jefferson County’s roads program, as well as two graders.
Craig Jacobs, Clallam County public works director, said the county has lost two staff positions because of budget shortfalls.
Jacobs said there will be more cutbacks in maintenance projects next year but it is too early to tell by how much.
Cuts will be in additional construction projects.
Funding from the state gas tax, which is a fixed rate, is also decreasing due to people driving less, both said.
Jacobs said for 2006, Clallam County received $2,057,000 in state gas tax revenue and expects to see a reduction of 3 percent for next year’s budget.
