FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2024
Douglas County Set to Face Revenue Shortfall to Maintain Safe County Road Systems
(Douglas County, Ore.) —Last week, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) presented its 2024 County Road Needs Study to the Oregon Legislative Joint Committee on Transportation, forecasting a statewide annual revenue shortfall of 59 percent over the next five years, resulting in an additional $834 million per year needed to maintain and manage county road systems in a safe and adequate condition. The report included data from Douglas County, as part of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Southwest Region 3, noting deficiencies in funding resources.
In Oregon, Counties partner with the state to support a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system. However, Oregon counties, along with the ODOT and other transportation agencies across the state, are facing structural funding challenges that impact core services, such as the maintenance of roads and bridges. Counties are responsible for the largest share of Oregon’s public road system, with more than 32,000 miles and 4,000 bridges. Douglas County owns and maintains 1,144 road miles and 300 bridges. This includes 161 miles in poor or fair condition, 240 bridges in poor or fair condition, and 63 heavy-truck-weight restricted bridges.
Today, inflation, shrinking fuel consumption, and limited local tax bases, have required counties to defer needed safety improvements and routine maintenance work, resulting in a lower standard of quality and safety for the existing road and bridge systems. In addition, over the last 30 years, federal partners have significantly reduced funding and all but stopped direct access to road infrastructure grants for Oregon's rural Counties. Douglas County depends on shared revenues from the long-standing 50-30-20 State Highway Fund Distribution Formula that supports Oregon's public road system. Funds are distributed 50 percent to the state, 30 percent to counties, and 20 percent to cities. This fund is crucial for safety improvements and maintaining critical infrastructure that all Oregonians depend on — roads, bridges, sidewalks, bike paths, traffic signals, culverts, and fish passages.
“Our roads and bridges are not getting any younger and each year the cost required to maintain these essential infrastructure channels continues to skyrocket. Aggregate rock and asphalt oil costs alone have increased over 35% in the last three years. While we are grateful for the State Highway Fund distribution, it’s important to note that current funding already falls short of keeping pace with inflation and rising material costs, so any additional cuts to our funding would be detrimental. Additionally, the proposed legislative effort to change the State’s long-standing highway revenue sharing model and reduce or eliminate the County portion of gas tax revenues, would further cripple our ability to maintain or repair our aging roads and bridges.” –Douglas County Public Works Director, Scott Adams.
Douglas County representatives will continue to share concerns, priorities, and ideas for solutions to help state legislators build a transportation funding package in 2025 that will support the needs of all local communities.
“Our citizens expect that their gas tax and DMV fees are going to be used to improve and maintain the state’s public road system. When Oregon Counties are responsible for maintaining the lion share of the roads and bridges, it’s imperative that they continue to receive their fair share of the funding. Douglas County is already looking at critical budget shortfalls over the next five years with the continued loss of federal timber revenues, so cuts to funding resources for road and bridge maintenance would severely impact our ability to maintain the vital infrastructure that keeps communities connected and our economy moving. We encourage our citizens to contact their legislators and advocate for a fair funding package, while also asking them to prevent any changes to the existing highway revenue sharing model.” - Commissioner and Public Works Liaison, Tom Kress.
To read the full 2024 study, and learn more about county road, bridge, and transportation priorities and funding, including the issues faced here in Douglas County, visit oregoncounties.org.
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Media Contact: Tamara Howell | Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist | Public Information Officer | Douglas County Public Affairs Office | Phone: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 | Email: tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov