Across Maryland, local roadway crews are plowing snow to clear community roadways — part and parcel of the business of local government. Our citizens demand and deserve good, safe, and clear roads and bridges.
However, all too many of those local roads are covered with pock marks and potholes.
State support for local roads has nearly evaporated in recent years. Counties have no local transportation revenue options — so they look to the property tax, already weakened by a real estate decline.
Local roads are being left behind — and every storm event requiring local funds to plow and clear these essential roads makes the problem worse.
Maryland’s policy leaders are now focusing on transportation funding. If a new transportation investment is made, among the most important decisions is whether the plan should focus exclusively on major state highways and transit projects.
Motorists deserve better than that. Five out of every six road miles in the state are maintained by local governments — these are the roads our kids take to school, that get us to our jobs, and that get us home safely.
A plan that ignores this high priority is not a fair plan for Maryland citizens, who may be asked to pay more at the pump and expect their familiar roadways to be supported.
In Annapolis, there’s time to decide what the priorities are. Everyone now seems to believe that a transportation “lockbox” is essential — and the counties agree.
We agree particularly because the transportation funds that have been redirected to other purposes have been the local Highway User Revenues that used to support local roads and bridges.
That share of the gas tax got slashed in 2009 during the depths of the great recession — and was never scheduled to be repaid.
Counties recognized the unfortunate need for state budget-cutting during these toughest of times, but even today they still see only a nickel on the dollar of previous funding levels.
The momentum for the lockbox idea underlies the importance of local roads, and this “contract” with the motorists that they will benefit from their gas taxes.
If a new financing plan comes together, leaders in Annapolis need to bring a fair share of those funds back to Main Street.
Any plan without this is incomplete, and unfair to millions of Marylanders that count on quality county roadways.
Richard M. Pollitt, president
Maryland Association of Counties
County executive, Wicomico County
Opinion
Must restore fair share of funds for locally-maintained roads
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Walk Smart
Many local residents will be visiting Ocean City this summer, so it is worth noting that the resort has launched a campaign that it hopes will keep pedestrians out of harm’s way.
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Trailer case bound to increase scrutiny on town of Piedmont
This letter is in response to the recent story concerning the guilty plea entered in federal court by Piedmont’s town foreman (“Piedmont town foreman Shingler enters guilty plea,” May 21 Times-News, Page 1A).
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Fixing community’s problems starts with your young people
I am writing this letter to the editor because I think our community really needs to work on plenty of issues. Some of them are:
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High priority
Maryland school officials on Tuesday put an exclamation point on the need to take student-athlete concussions more seriously.
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Why are there no answers to these questions?
We currently have the most corrupt administration in the history of the country. Every day more and more lies come from the Obama administration.
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Roaming dogs prove menace to some residents of LaVale
I am writing to inform your readers and the animal control staff of Allegany about a problem that is dragging on and unresolved, yet.
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These types should look to the Boy Scouts for an example
Consider these headlines:
NRA will “Never Surrender.”
The Tea Party will “Never Surrender.”
The No Tax Group will “Never surrender.”
Neocons will “Never Surrender.”
Far Left Liberals will “Never Surrender.” -
Housing project will have bad effect on property in this area
I am writing to you to voice my opposition to a low income housing project that has been proposed for construction on a tract of land on Pine Swamp Road in Mineral County, W.Va. I am a registered voter and resident of Mineral County and live in the New Creek/Pine Swamp area.
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Why have the media been silent all this time?
When I read the Cumberland Times-News Editorial this morning, Friday, May 17, entitled, “Outrageous,” I laughed like a kid at a birthday party!
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What are chances this much money will be spent on road?
I was intrigued by cost data summarized in reporter Kathy Mellott’s recent article, “Completing southern link of U.S. Route 219 said to be best use of highway funds,” which appeared in the Cumberland Times-News on Tuesday May 14 (Page 1A).
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