ABOUT US

The Road Commission works diligently to take advantage of any available special funds, such as MTF Economic Development Funds (TED-A and D) and Federal funds to shore up revenues. We have worked closely with the Michigan Department of Transportation on development of Safety programs under the new Federal program SAFETEA-LU and have submitted several project applications for future project funding under the Local Safety Program and High Risk Rural Roads Program. We were able to qualify for Federal Safety program funding which allowed us to make major improvements at the intersection of Jefferson and Parmeter Roads and Grand River and Jackson Roads, along with guardrail upgrades at county bridges. Township funding allowed additional improvements to Jefferson that tied into the intersection project.

The Road Commission for Ionia County maintains 1,381 miles of road and 66 bridges throughout the 576 square mile county. 390 miles of County Primary, 682 miles of County Local, and 309 lane miles of State Trunkline.

While the Road Commission establishes the improvement priorities for primary road system, Township government establishes the priorities and their level of funding for improvements on the local road system. Improvement projects such as paving , gravel resurfacing , culvert replacement and dust control , are known as "Heavy Maintenance". Without financial commitment from township boards and residents, most local roads would see very little improvement. This partnership helps provide better service to our joint constituencies and promote a higher quality of life.

The Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF) is the depository of fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees collected by the state and is the principal source of road commission funding. The collected funds are distributed by a complicated formula that provides for the receipts to be disbursed to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), 535 cities and villages, and the 83 county road commissions. High fuel prices have stifled growth in fuel tax collections, which were down again from last year. The declining economy continues to take its toll on vehicle registration fees. While our total MTF revenues for 2010 were up slightly (.06%), the state budget forecast for 2011 anticipates a 3% decrease.

We continued to suspend our Local Road Matching Program in 2010 due to declining revenues. However, we still covered most internal charges for work
performed by road commission forces. The total cost of that limited program was $173,723, or an average of $10,858 per township. Financial assistance from our townships contributed over $1.3 million dollars for improvements and additional maintenance on the local road system. Without this township commitment, most local roads would see very little improvement. This partnership helps provide better service to our joint constituencies and promote a higher quality of life.

We replaced all of our buildings that were destroyed in the 1996 Thanksgiving Day fire. We moved into our new 24,000 square foot vehicle storage garage on December 18, 1998 as the first snowflakes fell. Our new office was a little behind schedule, but we finally moved in on February 25, 1999. The contract cost for both buildings came under the architect's original estimate and the majority of cost were covered by insurance proceeds.

We recognize the value of our road commission employees. We greatly appreciate these hard-working and dedicated people who provide service to you and other county residents. The responsibilities we face are monumental, especially in view of our aging road and bridge system, but they are not insurmountable. We have worked resolutely to fulfill our mandate to provide safe and convenient roads.