The Herald-News - News Story

This winter's icy weather has seen the Rhea County Highway Department coming to the rescue more than once, with salt trucks and snow plows making roads safer for local motorists. In the current economic crunch though, the highway department is sending out a desperate plea of its own for help.

Rhea County Highway Supervisor Tommy Snyder said the highway department, funded solely through gas tax revenue and a shrinking mineral severance tax, has become increasingly strapped for cash, and he plans to formally request funding from the county.

According to Snyder, the highway department gets the majority of their funding from the gas tax. Since the gas tax is set on the number of gallons bought in the county - not the price per gallon - the trend in motorists buying less gas in Rhea County has hurt the department's budget considerably.

"People aren't using as much gas now, because a lot of people are laid off or carpooling," said Snyder. "They have to watch where they spend their money, but our checks [from the gas tax] have been going down for years."

Between 2008 and 2009, the department lost $110,211.66 in revenue from the gas tax.

"We had estimated a budget of $1.65 million, and we barely got $1.5," Snyder said, adding that numbers for the 2010 year are looking to continue the downward trend.

The other form of revenue comes from the mineral severance tax, said Snyder, which comes from 15 cents per ton of rock mined in Rhea County. The problem there, though, is that those mining jobs have dried up, along with the area's dwindling demand for rock.

Snyder said that in years past, the severance tax might bring in $160,00 to $170,000, but in 2009 he received only $69,733.30. Projections for this year are looking dim as well, with Snyder expecting a pitiful $40,000.

The department employs 18 total workers, down from 22 in the last five years because of the cost to maintain the nearly 450 miles of county roads. Snyder said he has tried to save costs by selling one of the department's two road graders, used to maintain dirt and gravel roads, to be able to pay off the debt on the other one.

He was also forced to cut one of his employees, which saved him $25,000.

Snyder said the county has never given any money to the highway department in the 32 years he has worked there, and he's heard of other counties' highway departments in the same predicament.

"It's the small rural counties that don't get anything from their counties," he said. "We're pretty much on our own, and it's always been this way."

Snyder acknowledged that tough economic times have made budgets difficult for everyone, but he wants the county to take care of all departments related to the county's interests.

Rhea County Commissioner Bill Hollin is in favor of helping Snyder and the highway department do their job effectively.

"Tommy's getting blamed for things he can't help," said Hollin, explaining how the highway department has also had to deal with increased prices of oil products needed to patch and pave roads.

"Cold weather has not helped these streets and it's causing a lot of potholes," Hollin said.
"He's getting more and more roads and a lot of people are calling him about sides of the road needing to be mowed or potholes fixed."

Hollin confirmed that the county commission does not currently contribute any money.

"He's come to us a time or two to inform us what's happening to him, but we don't give a dime," he said. "Somewhere down the road, the county's going to have to take some responsibility."

Rhea County Commission Chairman Ronnie Raper suggested that Snyder submit a formal request to the county commission to help fund his shortfalls.

Snyder said he does plan to formally request any aid the county can give as soon as possible.

As far as any upcoming winter weather, Snyder said that the highway department should be prepared for any ice or snow, but crews will have to wait for calls about icy roads before they go spread their supply of salt, rather than laying large amounts of the salt in preparation for the slippery weather.

Elisabeth Hollingsworth can be reached at elisabeth.hollingsworth@rheaheraldnews.com.