$105,000 may be cut for Bath roads By Amanda Isley • Staff writer
WARM SPRINGS - Impacts from the state transportation bill may reach the mountains of Bath County sooner than anticipated, and as it stands, they would receive little welcome.
Virginia Department of Transportation assistant residency administrator Susan Hammond informed the Bath board of supervisors its six-year plan for secondary road improvements would receive a 26 percent cut for fiscal year 2007-08 if House Bill 3202 is signed by Gov. Tim Kaine.
Supervisors decided to send a letter to the governor expressing opposition to the cut and urging him to veto the transportation bill.
Funding for secondary road improvements would be reduced from an earlier projection of $383,436 to $278,015. "That's a pretty substantial cut," said Hammond.
Although the bill is not finalized, Hammond said VDOT is operating with the information it has. There's a possibility the budget could be adjusted later, she said.
The information on the cuts trickled down from the central office in Richmond, and she pointed out cuts would be applied statewide.
A letter from VDOT commissioner David Ekern outlining the reduction states that more than 60 percent of the money for secondary and urban projects comes from the federal level and suggests localities develop projects that qualify for federal funding.
In addition, it indicates there will also be changes in the allocation of federal funding for these projects. "Based on our analysis of the actual provisions in the conference report for (House Bill 3202), the federal share for the urban and secondary program would drop in half if enacted."The letter notes the lack of significant new funding for secondary and urban road systems across the state.
Supervisor Percy Nowlin asked Hammond if it would be possible to pay for part of the downtown Hot Springs drainage project with primary road dollars. Hammond said the primary road project hearing is generally in October and she would try to find out.
Supervisor Stuart Hall moved to send a letter to Kaine opposing the cuts, but supervisor Richard Byrd proposed taking it a step further to urge him to veto the bill. Hall accepted the addition to his motion and added an e-mail should be sent with a written letter.
Although supervisors chair Cliff Gilchrest supported the motion, he doubted it would effect a change. "From what I've read in the newspapers, there's a good chance the governor's veto will be overturned," he said.
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