A Salty Debate: How to Pay for Road Salt?

Putting a village budget together is a bit like solving a puzzle. You can move money around but, in the end, all the pieces need to fit—all the expenses must be covered by revenues and cash on hand.

Case in point: Trustee Stan Bond would like to see the village stop using motor fuel tax funds to buy road salt. He believes that money should be spent on repairing and resurfacing roads. The question before the Montgomery Village Board is, if that change is made, how would pay for its salt?

According to Finance Director Jeff Zoephel, speaking at Wednesday night’s finance committee meeting, the village began using motor fuel tax funds to buy salt in fiscal year 2009. Until then, salt was purchased through the general fund but economic pressures on that fund prompted the switch.

Road salt is an allowable expense under the motor fuel tax fund, which comes to the village from the state.

For fiscal year 2012, which began May 1, Zoephel expects to take in $496,150 in motor fuel tax funds. Road salt for the upcoming winter is expected to cost $160,000, leaving $336,150 of this year’s funds for road work.

Last month trustees approved spending a total of $386,000 on street repair in fiscal year 2012, including money from a state grant. They also approved the $160,000 salt purchase.

Bond, however, would like to see all of the motor fuel tax money go to road work and salt purchases return to the general fund.

In fact, Bond said he would like to amend the 2012 budget to use more motor fuel funds on roads this year. His fellow trustees, however, said Wednesday that they would be more comfortable looking at this as a change for next year.

“I’m not in favor of trying to move things around in the present budget to allow for road salt to be taken from somewhere else,” said trustee Bill Keck, chairman of the finance committee.

“We’re halfway through the construction season. I don’t know if there’s anything to be gained in this year’s budget."

Trustee Matt Brolley agreed, but said he would like to see more road repairs undertaken each year before the streets deteriorate further, thus costing more to fix. According to Village Engineer Pete Wallers, Montgomery has never been able to fully fund each year’s road repair program.

“Getting on top of the road program sooner rather than later is key to the future of the village,” Brolley said.

Trustees will continue the discussion next month at the August committee of the whole meeting. But Keck summed up the problem before them:

“What it comes down to is, if you take it out of here and put it into the general fund, what are you going to cut?" he said "Once again, hard choices.”