Letter to the Editor: Use of gas tax funding

To the Editor:
On 1/14/14, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors (Schellhammer, Strub and Koenig) voted to support an additional state Road Use Gas Tax Fund increase of 10 cents per gallon (Motion #14.030 in the 1/14/14 Board minutes). In a nutshell, the resolution notes that: 1) this tax has not been significantly increased since 1989, 2) costs for administration, maintenance and improvements to our roads have increased, and 3) current support will not fully cover the future cost increases.
The new gas tax was presented to Iowa consumers in 2015 as a way to help upgrade and maintain our roads and, no matter what individuals may have felt, we adopted a new bill. March 1, 2015 our state began collecting the additional dollars. Allamakee County should expect an additional $600,000-$700,000 annually from this tax.
There is talk that our current Board of Supervisors, our County Engineer and the Director of the County Conservation Board are considering diverting some of this money ($158,000) away from the roads we travel daily and, instead, use it to enhance parking access at the new Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center in Lansing. How many loads of rock or miles of road would that be if applied to our county roadways?
If you’re concerned, call your elected Board of Supervisors and voice your opinion. Evidently, they forgot that we’re here.

Ryan Collins
Harpers Ferry

Shawn Gibbs
Waterville