The Tillamook County Public Works Department funding is separate from the general county fund. The Public Works Department funding is broken up into two budgets; one for the Solid Waste Department and one for the Road Department.
The GO Bond was passed in May 2013 bringing a total of $15,000,000 less bond costs to the County Road budget. This funding will be primarily spent for paving, grant match projects, bridge and culvert maintenance projects.
In the past, the Federal Forest Revenue money has been a large portion of the Road Department budget. Beginning July 1, 2008, a significant portion of that money is no longer available to counties. The Federal government is allocating approximately $620,000 in FY 2013/2014. This funding is approved on a year-to-year basis.
The Road Department receives a percentage of the vehicle registration fees for all vehicles registered within Tillamook County. It also receives a portion of the taxes that are collected from gasoline sales. As the economy slows and people travel less, the Road Department budget suffers from the lack of sales which in turn hurts the department's ability to maintain the roads.
This funding is through the agreement between the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Association of Oregon Counties. Each county is allotted a certain amount of money to which it can apply to use for qualifying projects. In the past, the Road Department has used this money to fund paving projects.
The Road Department receives a small portion of county traffic ticket fees that are paid through the Tillamook County Justice Court.
Tillamook County is hit nearly every year with one or more major storms. These storms can include one or more of the following: flooding, hurricane force winds, snow, landslides, and road washouts. Some of the storm damage is so severe, that it qualifies for Federal Highway and FEMA reimbursement monies.
Although grants do not make up a large portion of the Road Department budget, it is able to fund a small portion some of its programs through various available grants.
The Road Department partners with other agencies. Some of the agencies are: Oregon Department Of Transportation, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department Fisheries & Wildlife (culverts for fish passage), Tillamook Estuary Partnership, and other Tillamook County Departments (Community Development, Parks, Surveyor's Office, Assessment and Taxation, Clerk's Office).
Last updated: Thursday, January 30, 2020 04:46 PM