(Columbia) Feb. 7, 2003 - The Budget and Control board called a meeting for Tuesday. Sources tell WIS state revenue dropped in January and that could force a 1% to 4% cut in all state agencies.

The Department of Transportation says it hasn't been able to repave any secondary roads for years. A task force appointed by Governor Mark Sanford wants things to change. They recommend the state make fixing roads a priority over building new ones.

Turn onto to Risdon Road in northeast Richland County and you'll see more pitfalls than pavement. For drivers like Debbie Monfils, it's a daily obstacle course, "It usually gets real narrow here because of all the potholes."

Monfils faces the road every day. The road gets some short term fixes like patches from time-to-time, but Debbie knows it needs to be totally repaved. The state has no money for repavement anywhere, so Debbie faces, "A lot of potholes, a lot of big holes, it's just a mess."

A crumbling mess on our secondary roads is getting worse and it's easy to see on roads like Risdon. You can stop by and actually pick up a piece of the pavement.

Jim Feda is in charge of maintenance for DOT. This is the fourth year he's had no budget to repave any secondary roads. He says it's a safety issue that needs attention. The problem is with all the new homes that need new roads, which gets priority? Should the department build new roads or fix the ones we have?

Feda is diplomatic, "I see need for both. Obviously we need a better source of revenue."

One possibility is raising the gas tax, but politically that may be tough to do.

Debbie knows what she wants if there's no new money. She wants the roads she drives on now to finally get fixed, "I think it's needed, especially here."

South Carolina spends $300 million more on building roads than maintaining them in large part because for every dollar we spend on construction, the federal government will give us four more. The state is on its own for road repair.

By Lisa Goddard
Posted 7:19pm by BrettWitt