Dayton News - News
Road and Bridge Budget favorable to Pct. 2
By MIKE GEORGE
Once upon a time, somebody figured out that the annual Liberty County Road and Bridge fund which is how each county precinct determines, or has determined for them, their annual operations budget, should be totally classified by the number of miles of county roads in a given precinct.
Not surprisingly, the largest “cut of the road and bridge budget pie” goes to Pct. 2, which is not only the least populated precinct in the county, but it also represents the lowest amount of ad valorem taxes collected in the county as well as the least amount of sales tax collected among county precincts. Yet, year after budget year, the same antiquated method provides Pct. 2 with the biggest share of the county road and bridge budget pie. In other words, considering tax revenue, those areas most of the revenues come from are getting the least return on their tax dollars.
Pct. 2, which contains within its boundaries the two school districts with the least populated schools in the county and most of a third, gets the biggest share of revenue from the budget to build and maintain its roads. Not only that, but it’s also the least populated area of the county, even though county precincts are supposed to equate the population numbers.
As a matter of reference, both the previous and current Liberty County Judges reside in Pct. 2.
Anyone can examine the proposed county budget for the 2009 year by going to www.co.liberty.tx.us and click on 2009 Proposed Budget and scroll down the PDF pages to page 34 to find the beginning of the Road and Bridge Fund. Each precinct is divided, 1-4.
For purposes of this article, only the disparity between Pct. 2 and Pct. 4 will be used.
It has been determined for quite some time and for several years that the roads in Pct. 4 are in the worst shape in the county, collectively, moreso than any other precinct. However, road condition, what roads are made of and what kind of traffic each of the roads in each precinct bears is not part of the calculation, but there are arguments as to they should be.
Also, for purposes of this article, only school bus traffic is going to be considered, since what many call our most valuable resource, the children of Liberty County, is what is at stake here.
Following are some facts about the four school districts that lie within all or part of these two precincts. Dayton ISD lies predominately within Pct. 4 with some, that area south and east of Dayton along FM 1409 lies within Pct. 1. Hardin and Hull-Daisetta ISD lie within Pct. 2 and that part of the Tarkington ISD east of SH 321 also.
Following are statements of fact about these districts and the students they transport.
Tarkington ISD averages 1,000 student bus riders per day with 21 buses running two routes daily for 178 school days. That averages to 1,365 daily miles or 242,970 annually.
Hardin ISD averages 864 student bus riders daily with 18 buses running two routes daily for 178 school days. That averages to 1,200 daily miles or 213,600 annual miles.
Hull-Daisetta ISD averages 250 student bus riders per day with 6 school buses running regular two routes per day schedules for 178 school days. That averages to 250 daily miles or 44,500 annual miles.
Dayton ISD averages 2,711 student bus riders per day with 42 buses running four routes per day for 178 school days. That averages to 4,655 daily average miles or 828,750 annual miles.
Adding it all up, Dayton ISD’s annual bus route mileage is 327,680 miles farther than the total annual miles driven the combined three other school districts. Most of the miles traveled by DISD buses are on Pct. 4 roads. Buses travel much higher density roads in Pct. 4 than in any other county precinct. More total traffic equates to higher probably incident rates, i.e., chance for accidents. The difference between Pct. 2 and Pct. 4 is more than $800,000 or 8/10 of $1 million. What difference does the number of miles of roads in a precinct mean from figuring the square feet of driving surface and the amount of traffic on each of the roads? Wear and tear is supposed to be a proportionate dispensation dependent upon how much and how heavy the load and at what frequency those loads occur. With that considered, it may be time to refigure how figures are reached when figuring the county’s road and bridge funding.
Not surprisingly, the largest “cut of the road and bridge budget pie” goes to Pct. 2, which is not only the least populated precinct in the county, but it also represents the lowest amount of ad valorem taxes collected in the county as well as the least amount of sales tax collected among county precincts. Yet, year after budget year, the same antiquated method provides Pct. 2 with the biggest share of the county road and bridge budget pie. In other words, considering tax revenue, those areas most of the revenues come from are getting the least return on their tax dollars.
Pct. 2, which contains within its boundaries the two school districts with the least populated schools in the county and most of a third, gets the biggest share of revenue from the budget to build and maintain its roads. Not only that, but it’s also the least populated area of the county, even though county precincts are supposed to equate the population numbers.
As a matter of reference, both the previous and current Liberty County Judges reside in Pct. 2.
Anyone can examine the proposed county budget for the 2009 year by going to www.co.liberty.tx.us and click on 2009 Proposed Budget and scroll down the PDF pages to page 34 to find the beginning of the Road and Bridge Fund. Each precinct is divided, 1-4.
For purposes of this article, only the disparity between Pct. 2 and Pct. 4 will be used.
It has been determined for quite some time and for several years that the roads in Pct. 4 are in the worst shape in the county, collectively, moreso than any other precinct. However, road condition, what roads are made of and what kind of traffic each of the roads in each precinct bears is not part of the calculation, but there are arguments as to they should be.
Also, for purposes of this article, only school bus traffic is going to be considered, since what many call our most valuable resource, the children of Liberty County, is what is at stake here.
Following are some facts about the four school districts that lie within all or part of these two precincts. Dayton ISD lies predominately within Pct. 4 with some, that area south and east of Dayton along FM 1409 lies within Pct. 1. Hardin and Hull-Daisetta ISD lie within Pct. 2 and that part of the Tarkington ISD east of SH 321 also.
Following are statements of fact about these districts and the students they transport.
Tarkington ISD averages 1,000 student bus riders per day with 21 buses running two routes daily for 178 school days. That averages to 1,365 daily miles or 242,970 annually.
Hardin ISD averages 864 student bus riders daily with 18 buses running two routes daily for 178 school days. That averages to 1,200 daily miles or 213,600 annual miles.
Hull-Daisetta ISD averages 250 student bus riders per day with 6 school buses running regular two routes per day schedules for 178 school days. That averages to 250 daily miles or 44,500 annual miles.
Dayton ISD averages 2,711 student bus riders per day with 42 buses running four routes per day for 178 school days. That averages to 4,655 daily average miles or 828,750 annual miles.
Adding it all up, Dayton ISD’s annual bus route mileage is 327,680 miles farther than the total annual miles driven the combined three other school districts. Most of the miles traveled by DISD buses are on Pct. 4 roads. Buses travel much higher density roads in Pct. 4 than in any other county precinct. More total traffic equates to higher probably incident rates, i.e., chance for accidents. The difference between Pct. 2 and Pct. 4 is more than $800,000 or 8/10 of $1 million. What difference does the number of miles of roads in a precinct mean from figuring the square feet of driving surface and the amount of traffic on each of the roads? Wear and tear is supposed to be a proportionate dispensation dependent upon how much and how heavy the load and at what frequency those loads occur. With that considered, it may be time to refigure how figures are reached when figuring the county’s road and bridge funding.
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