Letter to the Editor: How is your tax money being spent?

Jasper County Board of Supervisors approved of more than $6,000 on bid for fence relocation on end of dead-end, leading to private land. Old roadway has not been open or maintained for more than 50 years. Private land at end of non-maintained road was purchased without access here. This landowner has two other accesses to his property, one the county helped him with. Now he wants another.

What is the priority now over other road projects? The pathway is a narrow sand bank with fence on top, there is drop off on east side of fence, part of which is steep. This was constructed 1986, by federal government and us the landowners. Surface is not suitable for roadway, not stable ground. Will have to be cleared of trees, leveled off because of steep grade along east side. This will cause more erosion.

We were told previously by county road officials it would be too costly to build a road here. Now they are going to go ahead and say this is a B-level road. The A-level road leading to this B-level non-maintained road is not maintained and impassible for road maintainer to go down because of overgrown trees. This non-maintained A-level road will have to be cleared which will be costly.

How are they going to make or maintain this new stretch? We are afraid they are not going to make this road safe or up to some sort of code. It will be open to public with nowhere to go or turn around. We believe this will lead to safety issues having to back up along steep incline.

Tax funds should be spent on road issues with high traffic. It is obvious we want to stay at the end of the road. We have invested and lovingly kept this property and don’t want it destroyed. If it wasn’t for our investment in filling deep erosion ditch there would not be a path. It would then be too costly to make a road. I believe it is too costly now with other roads needing to be repaired. If this road has to be opened, please do it safely.

Gary and Mary Adams

Colfax