Commissioners seeking change to state statute for CIRB funding

The Logan County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved a resolution seeking the Oklahoma legislature to support changing a state statue pertaining to distribution and use of highway funds commonly known as County Improvements for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) fund.

Discussion by the BOCC can be viewed in the video following this article. The topic begins at the 21:00 mark.

A source of revenue for larger county projects comes through the CIRB, which is managed by Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to help fund major road and bridge projects that counties could not afford on their own. ODOT directs those funds equally to its eight Oklahoma Transportation Commission districts through the five-year CIRB plan.

The Five-year CIRB plan is developed through coordination with county commissioners with assistance provided by their Circuit Engineering Districts (CED). Highest priority, most critical projects as identified and validated by cooperative recommendation, selection and approval process are included in the plan.

Logan County sits in division four and shares the funds with nine other counties, including the richest and highest populated county (Oklahoma County).

Commissioners say without the additional levels, each county could more efficiently manage their county with construction, maintenance and repair of county highways and bridges.

District 3 Commissioner Monty Piearcy said his crew constructed a 68-foot bridge for under $70,000. In another project using CIRB funding for a 60-foot bridge, the project currently has cost $1.4 million.

“It’s ridiculous how we are spending the tax payer’s money,” Piearcy said.

District 1 Commissioner Marven Goodman interjected Piearcy by saying, “How they are ‘forcing’ us to spend the tax payer’s money.”

Another example is the Coltrane Road project, which is a five-mile stretch from Waterloo Road to Seward Road. When submitted in 2006 the estimated cost was $2 million. In 2008, the estimate rose to $4 million and today is around $12 million. The project is now estimated to be completed in 2018.

The CIRB is generated by the Motor Vehicle Collection Tax, which deals primarily with the titling and registering of vehicles, boats, outboard motors, manufactured homes, travel trailers and commercial trailers.

The fund took a hit from the state legislature this past session with a $50 million budget cut and a cap on the motor vehicle tax at $120 million (collected $139 million in 2014) per year. Logan County is expected to receive an estimated $8.3 million over the next five years.

Approved resolution by the Logan County Board of County Commissioners

Whereas, the Board of County Commissioners of Logan County Oklahoma believe that the expenditure of public funds should be done in the most efficient and beneficial way possible; and,

Whereas, the Board of County Commissioners of Logan County, Oklahoma believes as county government is closest to the people it should have the most influence on transportation infrastructure plans, programs and project execution that best supports the needs of our local county residents, farmers, ranchers and businesses; and,

Whereas, the board of county commissioners of each county is delegated with the responsibility of the construction, maintenance and repair of all county highways and bridges; and,

Whereas, the Board of County Commissioners of Logan County believe that the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) program would be better and more efficiently managed by the boards of county commissioners of each county for the construction, maintenance and repair of county highways and bridges; and,

Whereas, the Board of County Commissioners of Logan County, Oklahoma supports changes in state statute which would allow for all CIRB funding to be appropriated directly to each county within the State of Oklahoma

Now therefore be it resolved, that the Board of County Commissioners of Logan County Oklahoma supports and requests that the State Legislature make the necessary changes to state statute that will allow for the appropriation of County Improvements for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) directly to each county of the State of Oklahoma.
Dated this 30 day of November 2016.