The Register Guard
Residents facing Elmira Road and Maple Street in West Eugene may be on the hook to pay approximately $1.2 million in road repair.
The project would cost the city $3.29 million and would require more than 120 property owners who live along those roads to pay a portion of that amount. The project is scheduled to move ahead unless objections are filed by property owners whose ACCUMULATED ASSETS are more than 50% of the $1.2 million portion, in which case it would require a super majority vote of the city counselors (six of the eight) to override the property owner's objections and perceived with the project.
The vote is scheduled to take place on April 13.
if every property owner had to pay for the streets in this manner, no street to be built. I guess I was under the misconception that "road taxes" were supposed to pay for such improvements.
Another issue would be if it happened to the street that I'm on, and if I happen to pay a large amount of money for road repair directly out of my pocket, does that also mean that I own part of the road and can charge of toll for access?
Would I also be entitled to deduct the expense of a new road off my taxes?
And I guess more importantly, the LAST thing that someone needs to be hit with in this economy, is a large bill for road repair. If forced with a similar situation, I would vote to let the road fall apart.
2 comments:
Once again I think were missing the point.
First... You mention you would let the roads fall apart.... oops... Too late!!
they have, many, perhaps even most, of the roads in Eugene and Springfield are dreadful at best.
Second... We have once again missed the point! Of course the roads should be repaired**** but the $3.29 million should be evaluated, We are talking about 120 home owners - 60 on one side of the road and 60 on the other. I don't think it should cost $53,333,33 to fix the small bit of road in front of my house.
We need to take a look at how the city is spending our money, I am not an engineer or a construction worker, but I bet if we (and I mean the home owners) were to form a citizens group and look into the costs, ask intelligent questions, of independent contractors, (divide the tasks among 120 people and no one has too much to do) I would bet that $3.29 million could be cut in half, and the city has already agreed to pay more than that.
Lets take the thought even further, I don't believe the city (county) (state) is spending our money wisely. Lets do something about it.
Clif- I agree with most of your sentiment. If the roads are in the city limits and they don't meet city code then the city should pay for the entire cost. That's what taxes are for. The only cost the property owners should bear are the increased property taxes from property improvements of the added sidewalks and curbs. Lots of people use these roads every day, not just the property owners.
As far as where the money goes, who knows. I live near Roosevelt and last summer they completely tore it up and replaced the whole thing from Chambers to 99. Did it need replaced? I don't know they tore it up a few years ago to replace the storm sewers and it seemed fine to me. And I use it every day.
A few years ago the city decided to install speed bumps on Friendly St. and curb cutouts and islands on most of the nearby streets to quiet traffic. That's great but I read somewhere that each speed bump was $1800 dollars. All these obstacle courses cost millions of dollars and just who determines what the city money is spent on and what the priorities are? There is a road about one block long near my house that has a lot of traffic on it but it has pot holes large enough to swallow my small car and hasn't had any attention for 4-5 years.
Somehow we have money to build a bike bridge to Alton Baker that we didn't need because the Ferry St. bridge redo has ample pedestrian and bike lanes on it, but no money to fix the roads that need it. Just say no.
P.S. I had the joy of dealing with the city during the sewer expansion to River Rd. I wasn't in the city but was still forced to pay for the sewer line and my own connection even though their was nothing wrong with my septic tank. I still think their heavy handed use of force was technically illegal but what can you do?
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