HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93010_0244 (2)Grady Chggk said he also lived on a dirt road (142 Windforest Drive, Statesville, NC). He
questioned where his taxes were going. He said citizens were paying gas taxes, automobile taxes,
and property taxes.
Commissioner Johnson said that counties in North Carolina were not given any gas tax
money. He said the municipalities, the state, and the federal government had the usage of gas tax
funds.
Mr. Check said if the residents of Deerfield Road were assisted with their road, "that the
county would have to do it for all."
Chairman Tice said road maintenance was a function of the state department of
transportation.
Mashburn said that in 1927, a law was passed that counties could not build and maintain
public roads. This occurred because many counties had defaulted and the state took over the roads.
A decree was issued stating that counties were prohibited, from that point forward, from spending
public funds for that purpose. He said that in 1975, the State of North Carolina advised it would
maintain all secondary roads that were not included in the state system for maintenance. The state
stipulated it would not add any roads after 1975, to the state maintained list, unless they met the
state standards. Mashburn said that in 1989, the board ofcommissioners started requiring developers
to build roads that met the state standards. Mashburn said from 1975 to 1989, the developers were
building roads the way they wanted. He said if the property owners did not ask the right questions,
or didn't know what questions to ask, they bought lots with inferior roads. In 1975, the state also
passed a law (G.S. 153-205) that authorized the counties to finance paving participation projects.
He said public funds could not be expended; however, the homeowners could be assessed over a
period of time. Mashburn added that none of the county tax money that was collected could be used
for the construction of roads.
Commissioner Johnson said the manager had previously presented a proposal to set aside
$210,000 annually from the interest earned on the fund balance to finance road improvements. He
said the manager had given him a proposed repayment schedule for the loaning of the $210,000
annually over a seven-year period. He said there would be a deficit of over $700,000 in what the
county loaned, and this would be $700,000 more than what the county would have received in
repayment. He said that even if the property owners made a 25% down payment, over a ten year
period there would be a deficit of $400,000. With a third down, there would be a $300,000 deficit.
Over a five-year period, with a third down, a quarter of a million dollars would be short, but at least
the payments would start to become substantial. Johnson said, however, a person that could make
this type of payment probably already had the money in the bank. Mr. Johnson said with so many
mandates from the federal and state government it would be difficult to assist in the road
improvements. He said that money would have to be taken from some other area. He added that
$700,000 would pay for seven or more additional school classrooms. Johnson ended his remarks
by saying that Jim Rand, with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, had said there were
about 22 million dollars of unimproved roads in Iredell County.
MOTION by Commissioner Fortner to deny the request of Mr. Cloer and the Deerfield Road
residents, based on the enormity of money the county would have to invest in road improvements.
VOTING: Ayes - 5; Nays - 0.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF VACANCIES OCCURRING ON BOARDS &COMMISSIONS
f
WELFARE REFORM COMMITTEE (3 announcementsâ–ş: MOTION by
Commissioner Johnson to suspend the rules of procedure to allow an appointment to be made to the
Welfare Reform Committee.
VOTING: Ayes - 5; Nays - 0.
6