BATAVIA, Ohio (May 3, 2019) — Commissioners approved at their May 1 Session a request from County Engineer Pat Manger to advertise for bids to resurface approximately 19 miles of roads and repair 17 miles of roads at an estimated cost of $2.08 million.
Approximately half of the revenue for the 2019 Road Resurfacing Program is coming from a $5 increase in vehicle registration fees, which the Commissioners approved in 2018. This allows roughly $1 million more per year to flow into the Engineer’s Road Improvement Program, increasing the number of miles that will be repaved each year.
Also during the May 1 Session, Manger spoke to the Commissioners about the recently enacted $10.5 cents-a -gallon increase in Ohio’s gasoline tax. It is the first increase in the gas tax since 2005. Neither increase was indexed for inflation, and Manger said that has put every county behind in its attempts to keep up with road and bridge needs. The gas tax increase is expected to generate an additional $1.5 million a year for each of Ohio’s counties.
Townships, villages and cities will also see additional revenue from the gas tax increase.
The Engineer’s Office is responsible for approximately 400 miles of county roads and 416 bridges in Clermont County. Funding comes exclusively from Ohio’s gasoline tax, which is divided equally among all 88 counties, no matter the population, and annual vehicle registration fees. Each county receives approximately 70% of the vehicle registration fees generated in their county.
In 2018, the county Engineer’s Office received $7.2 million vehicle registration fees and $2.3 million in fuel tax revenues.
In 2020, the first full year that increased revenues will come from the fuel tax increase, the Engineer’s Office is expected to receive $8.2 million in vehicle registration fees and $3.8 million in fuel tax revenues.
The additional revenue from the vehicle registration fee will be used exclusively for road resurfacing, reducing the paving cycle from the current 38 years to 22 years. The additional gas tax revenue will address deficient bridges, Manger said.
He noted that Clermont County’s topography makes it susceptible to landslides, and that currently 13 county roads are affected by landslides.
The Engineer’s Office said resurfacing on 2019 projects is expected to begin in late June.
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