(Spirit Lake)– Dickinson county could inherit even more roads than first thought under a legislative committee’s recommendation to revamp the distribution of Road Use Tax Fund money.
One of the committee’s recommendations we reported on previously would result in the county taking over maintenance on some highways currently under the state’s jurisdiction.
Tuesday, County Engineer Dan Eckert told the board of supervisors there’s another recommendation that would have counties taking over segments of farm-to-market roads that pass through towns with less than a thousand population. Under that proposal, Dickinson county would inherit .44 miles of road in Okoboji; point-seven miles in Orleans; .43 miles in Terril; and probably some in Wahpeton, Superior and West Okoboji.
That would be in addition to the previous recommendation of transferring highways 327, 276, old Highway 71 in Maywood and Highway 86 from Milford to Highway nine to the county. That’s slightly different from the original recommendation which would have had all of highway 86 from Milford to the stateline going to the county. Under the new recommendation, that portion of Highway 86 north of Highway nine would remain under the state’s jurisdiction.
The board of supervisors Tuesday expressed their concern over the increased cost the county would face by maintaining the additional roads to State Senator David Johnson, who was at the meeting. Johnson, who will be a member of the Senate Transporation Committee, isn’t sure if the Road Use Tax Committee’s recommendation will go through that committee. He says it will probably go through the committee where it would get the most positive votes to get it on a fast track through the rest of the legislature.
