IDOT threatens to suspend MFT funds
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By Carmen Ensinger
Greene County has until March 25 to hire a county highway engineer or the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will suspend Motor Fuel Tax funding until such time as an engineer is hired.
The information was sent to Greene County Board Chairman Mark Strang in a letter dated Dec. 13, 2021.
“This letter serves as a Final Continuous and Final Notice related to the unfilled and vacant Greene County Engineer position. We understand that this issue has been under consideration to be filled and the District 8 Office has undertaken continual contact and communications with the County for the past 12 months on this matter. Unfortunately, the issue has now been raised to the Department’s Central Office.”
The County was left without an engineer with long-time County Engineer David Marth retired on Dec. 31, 2020. Marth left to take a position with Volkert, Inc. In the absence of a county engineer, the county has had a contract with Volkert to take care of any engineering needs that arise, such as bridge inspections, overseeing the last bridge project, etcetera.
According to the letter, the County Engineer is a Deputy to the Secretary of Transportation and serves a a vital and critical role in enhancing, maintaining and preserving the transportation network.
“When one of these positions is unfilled, and in this case remains unfulfilled for nearly one year, the roadway network and the citizens it supports simply is not as strong as required.
“IDOT has remained extremely patient and considerate of the challenges that filling this position has experienced. Further, the Department and District 8 staff have offered a variety of suggested actions as short-term and long-term solutions.”
Per State statute, the County had 100 days to replace Marth. On July 8, the Department granted an extension to a date no later than Oct. 15 to have the position filled with a qualified candate.
“In that correspondence, the Department and District Office offered a series of suggestions and other actions that may have been enacted. Unfortunately, the response in filing the position was no favorable and Greene County is now in violation of the State Statute.
“The Department remains empathetic to the challenges Greene County has undergone in filling this position, so as a final measure of the appreciation of those challenges, the Department is granting a final 100 day continuous, or a no later than date of March 25, 2022 to properly fill the vacant position.”
If the position is not filled by March 25, IDOT will be forced to take actions related to State Statute 605 ILCS 5/5-201(3) which states:
“No part of any moneys appropriated by the State for the building and maintaining of county highways shall be appropriated to any county unless a county engineer or superintendent of highways has been appointed.”
This not only affects the county, but it also affects the Townships since they receive their MFT monies through the county as well.
“We remain hopeful and confident that Greene County can find good candidates to be validated by the Department’s procedure to fill a County Engineer’s position.”
The letter is signed by George A. Tapas, Bureau Chief of Local Roads and Streets, Illinois Department of Transportation.
The county has a little over two months to fill the position or lose its MFT funding.