Two Lincoln County citizens stood before the Board of Supervisors Monday to voice their complaints about road conditions.

Javis Gibson, who lives on Chestnut Lane in District 4, said he wants his road upgraded from gravel to paved. He said he’s reached out to the county several times since he moved there in 2017, but nothing has been done.

“All the roads around us are paved — Johnson Grove Road is paved, and Katie Trail and Richardson Lane,” Gibson said. “So why can’t we get pavement on our road? We’ve got multiple families, school buses and children on this road.”

District 4 Supervisor Eddie Brown said it’s all a matter of money.

“We get just about enough money to only maintain. It would be more than $80,000 just for the blacktop on a road,” he said. “It was gravel when you moved there, wasn’t it?”

Gibson said yes, it was.

“It’s still gravel. I would love to see where there is not a gravel road in that district,” Brown said. “There’s still gravel in District 2, District 3 and District 5, too. I’ve got 228 miles of roads in District 4 and maintenance is only funded by ad valorem (property) tax.”

Gibson said it seemed to him that in six years Brown could have used what was spent on maintenance for Chestnut over that time to pave it, instead.

“Eli has several roads to look at,” Brown said, pointing to Eli Ferguson in the gallery, who was recently elected to be District 4 supervisor upon Brown’s retirement. “He’ll address those once he’s in office.”

District 5 Supervisor and Board president Doug Falvey echoed Brown’s explanation of not enough funding.

“We only get about $5,000 per mile, and it costs about $135,000 per mile to completely pave from nothing,” Falvey said. “There’s just not enough money. We don’t have the money. If I can’t maintain the blacktop I have now, why would I want to blacktop another road?”

Gibson said he had spent a lot of money on his property, and was now seriously considering selling it.

“It’s just sickening,” he said.

“Hopefully that money will come available,” Brown said.

“Thank you very much,” said Gibson.

 

St. Paul Drive resident Mattie Williams spoke next, asking Falvey why a new subdivision had been paved with thick asphalt, even though it was a dead end road, and yet St. Paul remained gravel.

“Only one house has gravel in front of it,” Falvey responded.

“It’s two houses, and that dust comes down that road. I have asthma and she has asthma,” Williams said, pointing at a woman who came with her to the meeting. “And your people go out and sit out there for hours doing nothing.”

“I won’t hear that,” Falvey said. “I know what my guys do and they don’t go and sit around doing nothing. You’ve been here several times and you can come anytime you want, but I don’t have the funds to pave everything.”

Only about 1,500 feet of the road is not paved, and Williams does not live on the gravel portion, Falvey said.

“That doesn’t matter. The dust blows down the road. It is truly pathetic,” said Williams.

Falvey said he wasn’t disagreeing with her on the condition of the road, and that he has rough road conditions near his home, as well.

“Since the first year you were trying to get into office you said you were going to pave,” Williams said. “Do we need to go higher?”

“You do whatever you need to do,” Falvey answered. “I can’t spend all of my money on one road.”

Driving on the road has torn up her car, Williams said, and she wants the county to pay for it.
“Do I need to bring my receipt to you?” Williams asked Falvey.

“No. I’m not going to pay it,” he answered.

“Your road tore up my car,” Williams said.

“Is that the only bad road you cross?” Falvey asked.

Board attorney Greg Malta interjected, telling Williams she had the right to file a claim with the county, through an attorney.