Road Commission digs into summer funds
A record-breaking winter left the Isabella County Road Commission exceeding its budget for road maintenance.
At Wednesday's Union Township Board of Trustees meeting, Supervisor Russ Alwood said the commission spent $550,000 above the budget.
Salt used for the slippery roads and overtime hours in maintaining safety on the roads this winter created the overdraft. Around $1.3 million in maintenance for the entire winter was used for the salt and overtime hours.
The road commission will be receiving $325,000 from Michigan to recover some budget from the cost of salt, but it will not cover all of the extra expenses.
Summer projects and road maintenance in Union Township might be affected by this setback. A project approved by the road commission on Deerfield Road will continue as planned.
A $800,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation will be put toward creating a sidewalk for the students that will connect with Central Michigan University walkways.
The commission will also create a three-lane road on Deerfield Road between Mission Street and Crawford Road starting around May 10.
