Miller County judge to involve citizens in decisions on roadwork

Miller County, Ark., Courthouse is seen in December 2015 at 400 Laurel St., Texarkana.
Miller County, Ark., Courthouse is seen in December 2015 at 400 Laurel St., Texarkana.

Miller County, Ark., will have a road management and maintenance program based upon priorities, best practices, innovation, citizen input and fairness, said Miller County Judge Cathy Hardin-Harrison.

"The citizens deserve a countywide road improvement system that efficiently utilizes public revenue in the most cost-effective way of building and maintaining our roads," Hardin-Harrison said.

"We are dedicated to being good stewards of the resources made available through tax dollars on behalf of the people of Miller County."

The road management program booklet was issued Jan. 1 and was prepared by Hardin-Harrison and Road Administrator Carl Teel.

During the county judge campaign, Hardin-Harrison heard complaints from citizens "unhappy" with the way the road maintenance program was being handled.

"One of the most common complaints expressed was the roads being selected for improvements based on political considerations and not a fair and impartial systematic basis," she said.

"It soon became apparent that a new approach was needed to address the needs of the entire network of county roads and not just a favored few."

She is establishing a citizens' road advisory committee to give input on which county roads should be designated for upgrades as resources became available.

The citizens selected to serve on the Miller County Road Advisory Committee will be guided by the general outline of the booklet.

"The final determination of all road maintenance decisions will rest with me by virtue of my constitutionally mandates duties. I welcome the input of the committee as I make those decisions for better and safer roads in Miller County," Hardin-Harrison said.

Miller County has more than 900 miles of roads considered to be county roads requiring county maintenance. The county is divided into 11 quorum court districts.

Several different types of material make up roadways. "Some roads are gravel or dirt. Some are paved with chip and seal. Some have an asphalt overlay. Some are a mixture of these," she said.

"Regrettable many of our roads are in bad condition and have proven to be treacherous to the traveling public. We have much work to be done, and with limited resources the challenge will be daunting. However, we must get to work and get the job done."

"My instruction to the road department is simple: We must improve all the county roads that are under our responsibility to maintain and make them safer and better," she said.

"On a regular basis, I will ask the road department to constantly reevaluate the road conditions and surfaces. With that information and under my jurisdiction, the road department will pursue an ongoing systematic effort to work on a countywide basis to address the needs of our county roads.

"I intend to establish a database that will document what repairs are needed and when repairs are completed," Hardin-Harrison said.

"Work will be fairly and evenly distributed in all
of the rural areas of the county."

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