'Neglecting our roads': Board member makes plea for money to repair Winnebago County roads
ROCKFORD — County Board member Dave Tassoni said he wants more than verbal approval from fellow board members to start allocating more money to the county's highway department.
In a letter given Monday to county board members at a joint caucus meeting, Tassoni, D-5, the board's Public Works chairman, explained the highway department needs more revenue to address the growing list of road projects. He also said state and federal dollars may be available if the county can pony matching funds.
"The highway department is in desperate need of real dollars to assist with (meeting) 80/20 matching funds to maintain, repair and reconstruct our county roadways," he said. "For every $2 that we can dedicate, we have the ability to secure $8 in state and federal matching funds for many projects."
However, Tassoni said the county often struggles with coming up with the requisite 20% match for even "the most minimal projects."
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Tassoni is asking board members to consider designating money to the highway department from two revenue sources: the county's host fee fund and casino gaming revenue.
From the host fee fund, money collected from waste haulers who dump trash at the Winnebago Landfill, Tassoni said the county can afford to designate $500,000 a year to the highway department.
He noted over the next two to three years, as much as $600,000 per year in county host fee commitments to projects like the construction of the Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens and the BMO Harris Bank Center will be coming off the books.
Tassoni did not specify a dollar amount he would like to see committed from the county's portion of the casino revenue to the highway department.
Hard Rock plans to break ground this spring for its casino on the site of the former Clock Tower Resort near Interstate 90, pending Illinois Gaming Board approval. The casino will not only attract local gamblers but also those north of the state line and from the Chicago suburbs, many of whom will be traveling on county roads.
Meanwhile, the temporary casino, Hard Rock Opening Act, opened Nov. 10 at 610 N. Bell School Road. In its first 22 days of operation, the gaming facility generated $4.2 million. A breakdown by percentage of how much each Winnebago County government will receive was not available.
Tassoni said board members and administration officials have been receptive to his proposals but not committed.
He wrote, "... while many have said, 'Yes. Let's do it' and have been in support, nothing has been put on paper."
Jim Webster, R-2, said he supports the proposals and called the 80/20 matching "the best bang for our buck."
"We don't get an 80/20 match on anything else that we do," he said.
"I can't stress enough how much we have been neglecting our roads. Sure, we keep them maintained as best as we can, but we got a lot of needs out there."
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As for possible funding from the county's portion of the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill of which the county is receiving $54.8 million, road and bridge projects are not eligible for those dollars.
However, water and sewer projects such as the county's desire to extend water infrastructure west of Interstate 39 along Baxter Road — roughly a $3 million to $5 million project — would qualify for ARP funding, Tassoni said.
County Highway Engineer Carlos Molina is expected to give a presentation this month to county board members detailing county highway projects and the funding that is needed.
Chris Green: cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Winnebago County in 'desperate need' of money for road repairs
