Newton County supervisors are reallocating $290,000 in Local System Bridge Project funds after additional funding was made available from the Office of State Aid Road Construction for LSBP eligible bridges.
In a Board of Supervisors meeting Monday, County Engineer Duane Stanford told the board about $4 million worth of LSBP funds will be made available in the coming months. The funds, he said, were allocated to other counties but were taken back by the state for reallocation after the counties failed to find eligible projects to spend it on.
“The LSBP funds, they have confiscated about $4 million statewide,” Stanford said. “They say we aren’t spending it like we should.”
Newton County, Stanford said, does spend the LSBP money it receives from the state. Now, the county is able to apply for additional funds.
In order to receive the money, Stanford told supervisors they would need to reallocate $290,000 in LSBP funds the county had previously put toward the Chunky River bridge to a bridge on McElhenny Road. Once the county’s current funds are allocated, the state will cover the rest with the appropriated money, he said.
“So, we’ve got to pull it back off and put it on McElhenny Road,” Supervisor Joe Alexander said.
The board approved reallocating the funds and authorized Stanford to apply for the additional LSBP money. The total cost of the bridge replacement project on McElhenny Road is expected to be about $313,000.
Also on Monday, the board voted to continue an equalization hearing on the assessed value of ESCO/WEIR after the manufacturer filed a formal complaint.
Board Attorney Jason Mangum advised the board to continue the hearing as he had not had an opportunity to review the complaint and investigate ESCO/WEIR’s claims.
“That’s my recommendation because I can’t really make a recommendation,” he said.
The hearing will continue Aug. 15.
In other business, the Board of Supervisors:
●•Approved $750 to purchase four air tanks from Lauderdale County for Duffee Fire Department. DFD will reimburse the county for the cost; and
●•Approved advertising for bids to install a 10-foot steel pipe on Hopewell Road.
