KIRKSVILLE, MO --
There was heated debate at the Adair County Commissioners meeting Wednesday.
Several taxpayers showed up this morning to hear the commission's decision on how to spend the $63,000 SEMA reimbursement from the 2008 floods.
There was a two to one vote for half of the money to go to a cash rock program in which taxpayers will pay 75 percent per load, with the county picking up the rest. Commissioner Mark Thompson voted against the motion because the offer is only good for rock an inch and a half in size.
“Inch and a half rock has caused more damage to people's tires in this county than what they will ever pay to put more rock on the road, that's one of the reasons that I'm not. Offerings like this are like offering anchovy pizzas at discount,” Thompson said.
Some citizens say they've already invested money on rock, and need a smaller size rock to improve their roads.
“We’ve spent $1200 of our money putting rock on it, and it's gone. We need it now because we've build all that dirt back up and this spring it's gone, but we don't need inch and a half on it now, but you're going to penalize us because we went ahead and paid for it ourselves, and that isn't fair to the others that's went ahead and collected money on their own and paid,” said Harley Harrelson, citizen of Adair County.
May 17 is the date the program will go into effect. It will end September 30 or when funds are exhausted.
The other half of the SEMA money will go into the road and bridge fund.
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