Dunn County receives lowest amount of general transportation aid among eight counties
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — Being frugal with the amount of money spent on county highways has not paid off for Dunn County in terms of general transportation aid received from the state of Wisconsin.
According to information presented by Dustin Binder, Dunn County highway commissioner, at the Dunn County Board’s budget workshop on August 28, Dunn County receives $1.7 million in general transportation aid for 425 miles of road, which amounts to about $4,000 per mile.
The amount of transportation aid from the state is based on past spending, Binder said.
Chippewa County receives $2.05 million in GTA for 489 miles of county highway, which amounts to nearly $4,200 per mile, or about $200 more per mile than Dunn County.
Portage County receives $2.4 million in GTA for 434 miles of road, which amounts to about $5,500 per mile, or $1,500 more per mile than Dunn County.
Binder said he likes to use Portage County as a comparison because it is similar to Dunn County.
Eau Claire County receives $3 million in GTA for 421 miles of county highway, which amounts to about $7,100 per mile, or $3,100 more per mile than Dunn County.
Polk County receives $2.2 million for 335 miles of county highways, which amounts to $6,567 per mile, or about $2,500 more per mile than Dunn County.
St. Croix County receives $2.34 million in GTA for 335 miles of county highways, which amounts to nearly $7,000 per mile, or $3,000 more per mile than Dunn County.
Barron County receives $1.5 million in GTA for 291 miles of county highway, which amounts to about $5,100 per mile, or $1,100 more per mile than Dunn County.
Pierce County receives $1.4 million in GTA for 249 miles of county highways, which amounts to $5,600 per mile, or $1,600 more per mile than Dunn County.
Dunn County ranks 7th out of 72 counties for the number of county highway miles, Binder said.
In addition to 425 miles of county highway, Dunn County has 76 bridge structures (defined as being over 20 feet in length), 81 drainage structures and 4,000 culverts, he said, adding that Dunn County has 4,200 traffic signs.
Revenue
The revenue sources for the Dunn County Highway Department include bridge aid, transportation aid, vehicle registration fees, borrowing, property tax levy, state and local road improvement funds, administrative fees, permits, state maintenance (the state contracts with counties to maintain state highways) and local government work, Binder said.
The highway department has $11.7 million in revenue and $16.5 million in expenses, resulting in a budget deficit of $4.9 million, Binder said.
Expenses include county road maintenance, county bridges, county highway construction and winter maintenance, he said.
County maintenance includes maintaining road signs, maintaining paint markings, crack sealing, vegetation control, seal coating, shouldering, road surface maintenance, drainage, guardrail repairs, litter pickup, accident repairs, surveillance and mobilization and transport of equipment, Binder said.
The revenue includes $1.7 million in general transportation aid, $787,879 for vehicle registration fees and $1.2 million in property tax levy, he said.
Resurfacing a road costs $150,000 per mile, while replacing the road surface costs $250,000 to $300,000 per mile and is expected to last 20 years, Binder said.
Reconditioning a road costs $400,000 to $500,000 per mile and lasts 20 to 25 years, and reconstructing a road costs $1 million per mile and also lasts 20 to 25 years, he said.
Bridge rehabilitation lasts 25 to 50 years, and bridge replacement lasts 75 to 100 years, Binder said.
2025 projects
Projects for 2025 would include 18.48 miles of road and would cost $6.6 million, Binder said.
The goal for road projects is to reduce the age of county infrastructure. In 2021, county highways were being replaced once every 52 years. In 2025, with additional projects, the age of county infrastructure would be reduced to 23 years, he said.
Projects proposed for 2025 are county Highway D (past Jake’s Supper Club), which is 36 years old, and Highway D (Irvington) which is 39 years old, along with Highway C in Eau Galle, which is 43 years old, and Highway Y which is is 37 years old, Binder said.
Additional projects would include county Highway BB at 28 years old, and county Highway S (from state Highway 170 to county Highway N), at 25 years old, he said.
While Highway S is “only” 25 years old, anyone who has driven that stretch of road lately knows the road surface is rough and in poor shape.
Other projects would include Highway G, which is 30 years old, and Highway J, which is 51 years old, Binder said.
Winter maintenance varies from year to year, but the budget of $1.6 million is based on a five-year average, he said.
A truck and plow equipment costs $315,000 new in 2024 and will last for eight to 10 years, Binder said.
Budget comparisons
In the last 14 years, the Dunn County Highway Department budget has only recently increased by about $5 million.
According to information presented to the county board, in 2010, the highway department budget was $13 million, and in 2015, the highway department budget was $11 million, while in 2020, the highway department budget was $11.5 million.
In 2021, the highway department budget was $11.3 million, and in 2022, the highway department budget was $14.9 million, while in 2023, the highway department budget was $17.7 million.
Goals
In the last 23 years, the cost of hot mix has increased by 174 percent, Binder said.
Out of the 425 miles of county highways, 83 miles are in “poor condition,” and 217 miles are in “fair condition,” while 125 miles are in “good to excellent” condition, Binder said.
If all of the road project money goes into improving the roads that are in poor condition, then the roads that are in fair condition will become roads in poor condition, he said.
The goal is to improve road life, Binder said.
Taking roads from a life of 30 to 40 years to 20 to 25 years will improve road safety, he said.
The goals are to invest in infrastructure, to look for grants and to use more effective strategies, Binder said.
“It feels like we are on a treadmill,” said Tom Quinn, county board supervisor from Downing.
Is the county highway department considering reconditioning rather than reconstruction? he asked.
Dunn County is doing reconditioning, and the county uses growth inhibitors in the ditches to reduce the amount of time spent mowing, Binder said, noting that the highway department receives calls from people who do not like the use of growth inhibitor.
Instead of 3.5 inches of asphalt, in some cases Dunn County uses three inches of asphalt and no additional base, he said.
Dunn County is not doing as many safety improvements as could be completed to try to catch up and is not improving intersections in an effort to try to catch up, Binder said.
