By: Hollie Hojek
hhojek@kcautv.com
Rotting wood and corroding steel. There's at least 70 bridges in Woodbury County that look are in desperate need of repairs. But without the funds, the counties' hands are tied.
"It's frustrating from that point of view," said Mark Nara, Woodbury county engineer.
Right now the Iowa Department of Transportation is $215 million behind in critical road repairs. Nara says it's mostly due to the fact that funding remains the same, while the cost of construction continues to go up.
"Our money does not got go anywhere near as far as it use to."
So in an effort to generate more money, a new bill in an Iowa House Subcommittee is looking to take red light and speed cameras revenue from cities, like here in Sioux City. But if that money's taken away, Sioux City will be forced to make more budget cuts than it already has. That's why Nara says this new bill may not be the way to go.
"I've long advocated the increase in the fuel tax."
Nara says given the severity of the road conditions in Iowa, the revenue from the cameras will just be a small drop in the bucket, a drop he thinks would be better for the cities.
"Every bit of a revenue is a help, but I think it would hurt the cities that are utilizing that more than it would help us counties."
Speed cameras in Sioux City brought in close to $2 million to the city last year. Red light cameras brought in close to another million dollars. And all that money is in danger of being taken from the city and given to the state. As the bill stands now, the city would be able to use the funds it generated to pay off expenses dealing with the cameras. The rest of the money would be given to the state.
