Questions to our County Commissioners,
I have recently requested Carbon Counties Road Budget for the last 10 years. As I started looking at roads and costs it was astonishing to see the huge sums of money being spent for a handful of roads in the county, much of it in the last three years. Just a small number of these road expenditures were approximately as follows:
- Whitmore Park road (mountain road between Indian and Soldier Creek Canyon $1,001,226.00
- Minnie Maude Canyon (branches off Nine Mile Road and goes to a locked gate on private property $373,487.00.
- Coal Creek road extends nine miles to the mountains and ends at a locked gate $127,262.00. I was quoted earlier that this roads expenditures were closer to $400,000 so perhaps this was done prior to the ten years I am quoting.
- Clarks Valley road which goes North off Highway 6 just outside of Wellington, and deadends at a locked gate $686,170.00
- Mounds/Farnam roads which turn off South of Highway 6 between Wellington and E. Carbon $1,239,034.00
In the past these roads were all modestly maintained. They were perhaps graded once or twice a year, a few culverts and a some gravel in the bad spots. They were largely dirt, and not extensively maintained. Fairly and logically funded compared to more heavily used roads.
- By comparison, the total spent for all of Carbonville roads for those 10 years was approximately $404,972 ($222,937 grant/low interest loan).
- The Old Wellington Road expenditures were only $157,019.
It also appears that the county graveled and paved into private property at times. There are appearances of special considerations to county employees or favors to some. The State Ombudsman made a telling comment: ‘You have to make them want to do these things.’ Why not because it is the equitable unbiased thing to do? These types of actions are one of the many reasons our nation as a whole is fed up with government. Our county was founded on the values of openness and fairness. Our governing officials have lost site of the fundamental reason they exist.
I found it troubling that a GRAMA request I made to access the hard copy county maps has been denied. This is public information! Why would there be any reason to hide these from the public? These maps indicate Class B & D roads (roads for which the State of Utah provides matching funds). These maps would also indicate which roads have been added, taken off or upgraded. These roads are governed by Utah Code 72-5-105 mandating that there be public notices with hearings, and letters notifying land owners of any abandonments.
Large numbers of roads go no where and yet they are part of the county road system. Many roads that once had a purpose, but no longer do; and yet the county continues to spend heavily on them. Perhaps the commissioners could consider dropping these roads first before they abandon established county roads that taxpaying homeowners live on.
I have not included any of our roads developed for tourism such as Nine Mile Canyon/Range Creek or the county’s OHV trails. Coal has steeply declined as have the accompanying mineral monies. Gas/Oil roads bring relatively little money to our community in comparison to county expenditures vs. what private industry would be expected to pay for themselves. Additionally, I have by no means pointed out many more of the large expenditures on questionable roads. My point is that while millions and millions of dollars are spent on largely unknown and modestly driven roads, the county is finding reasons to randomly and arbitrarily drop long established county roads and other services.
Cindy O’Neil
Wellington, Utah
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