The Grand Traverse County Road Commission has set its 2010 budget
TRAVERSE CITY -- The Grand Traverse County Road Commission has set its 2010 budget.
Wednesday morning the Board of County Road Commissioners discussed ways to fill an almost one million dollar budget deficit. One of the proposals was to cut overtime for snow plow drivers. Under the plan, roads that fall into the Road Commission’s Level 2 Priority; like Secor Rd. and South Long Lake Rd, would not be plowed after business hours. Neighborhoods would not be plowed by the Grand Traverse County Road Commission at all under the plan. It was estimated that by limiting overtime hours the Road Commission would save $50,000.
Grand Traverse County Road Commission Board Chairman, Jim Maitland says “It certainly would have affected local roads. Snow comes on weekends and evenings and that would have delayed until normal business hours."
Grand Traverse County Road Commission Manager, Mary Gillis says “We have to make tough decisions now because there is not enough money to go around.”
Members of the board decided the risk to the community during the winter months was too much. Instead they voted to limit their contribution to the South Long Lake Road Project. Long Lake Township and the GT Road Commission have been planning a safety project along South Long Lake Road for several years. The goal is to widen pavement for bikes and provide sign upgrades. Instead of giving $263,000 dollars to help fund improvements to the road, the commission decided they would contribute $100,000 – saving $163,000.
Maitland says "the budget restraints are now to a point where we have to look at not doing state and federal projects which really hurts everyone."
Gillis says “we are going to be cutting safety somewhere else to provide more safety in the winter. I think it was a definite choice on priorities here."
Another $15,000 dollars was saved by voting to change the Board of County Road Commissioners health insurance to single coverage.
