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Ungaro: Liberty will fix roads one at a time
By jeanne starmack
liberty
Liberty might still be able to resurface one bad road a year, said township administrator Pat Ungaro, even though voters defeated a new roads levy.
Voters rejected the proposed 1.25-mill, five-year levy at the polls Tuesday.
Township officials had been pushing hard for its passage, saying it was sorely needed to resurface 20 to 25 roads that are badly in need of paving.
The levy was defeated 1,255 to 983.
Trustees had said that state cuts, including the loss of money from inheritance taxes, local government funds and personal-property taxes, are hurting the township’s ability to fix roads. Trustees wanted the $226,320 a year the levy would have generated for local funds to add to state grants for paving.
Ungaro had said before the election that state grants are available each year for roads, but the local governments that have match money get the grants most often.
The Shady Road-Murray Hill paving project was accomplished with $150,000 in grants and $70,000 the township had from a workers compensation reimbursement.
Ungaro said Thursday he likely can get grants. “But we do need a local share,” he added.
“People spoke, and it’s over with,” he said. “I’ll try to get grant money and with a little luck, we can do one road a year.”
He said he doesn’t think the trustees want to put the levy back on the ballot “at this time.”