FRANKFORT, Ky. — Lawmakers are still working to complete the state’s budget for the next two years. Monday, the house budget review committee received feedback from the transportation cabinet regarding the House’s proposal for funding over the next two years.
The focus of Monday’s meeting had to do with secondary and county roads. Right now, the House’s proposal includes $25 million each year in the two-year budget to address a backlog in local and county road projects.
House Republicans say the proposed $5 million a year for contingency funds and $20 million each fiscal year to the county priority projects program are not final numbers set in stone.
“We’re trying to get that list as accurate as possible so that the first resolution goes out with as little waste of money or lost opportunity as possible,” said State Representative Jason Petrie, R-Elkton.
Representative Petrie said the General Assembly wants to see a specific list of projects the money would fund to make the greatest use of funds and avoid any politicized use of funds. Petrie did not accuse the current cabinet of such claims but said funds have been misused in the past.
“This discretionary account over decades and decades just has a bad reputation,” Petrie said.
Rural and municipal aid commissioner Bobbi Jo Lewis and Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said they understand the concerns, but say roads selected for repair are graded on a 1-10 scale based on appearance, potholes, striping and drop offs.
“These are engineers that are making these decisions, that are making these judgements on the character, the composition or deterioration of these roads,” Gray said.
The state has a nearly $36 million backlog in qualified county projects because of a lack of funding. Lewis, commissioner of rural and municipal aid, said fully funding the contingency fund would help with keeping track of projects.
“They (county judges) deserve to have responsiveness from us, they deserve to have us be able to tell them if we can fund their project,” Lewis said.
Lewis said her goal is to be as transparent as possible with how taxpayer monies are being used.
“Our pending list changes daily. I’m not exaggerating when I say it changes daily,” Lewis said.
Petrie said once the general assembly has a list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), then they discuss if the $5 million and $20 million is sufficient.
“It’s taxpayer money, not our money; whether it be road tax or whatever, so that’s why we’re trying to get through this process and make sure it is effective and efficient as possible,” Petrie said.
House Bill 265 is the transportation cabinet’s budget bill. It has been assigned to the House Appropriations and Revenue committee.
No action was taken Monday. The budget review committee and cabinet will continue to have discussions regarding the budget before a vote is taken.