County road work to begin this month
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 10, 2000
Warren County officials awarded a contract Monday for the repaving of 18 county roads using funds from taxes on casinos and gambling.
A last-minute bid of $556,167 from APAC of Mississippi was the only proposal for the project. Work is expected to begin this month.
Nearly $600,000 in gaming revenue was set aside for the work. Totaled, casinos in Vicksburg generate about $185,000 per month for the county.
County officials are hoping funds will stretch to cover more roads before the construction season ends.
While the Warren County engineer maintains a list of roads in need of work listed in order from the worst to the best, roadways were selected to be in the fall resurfacing program based on location as well as need. In most areas, two or more adjacent roads were selected to save money.
The idea is to resurface more than one road at a time in neighborhoods where a single artery may require immediate attention. Although a road such as Canterbury Hills Road is not high on the county’s list, it intersects with Robinhood Road, a road considered the seventh highest priority on the county’s list of roads in need of resurfacing.
The plan is to package several roads in one area to be resurfaced at one time. Instead of having 18 projects spread throughout the county, the contractor will do two or three roads in one subdivision and save the cost of mobilizing to more locations.
If the work can be done for less than the estimated amounts, supervisors are hoping to add three roads to the list. Magnolia Circle, Summer Hill Drive and Wedgewood Circle are possible additions if funds are available.
Locally, Vicksburg, Warren County and the Vicksburg Warren School District share a 3.2 percent tax on money patrons lose at casinos. The ratio is 65-25-10, respectively. Warren County also splits with the city, based on population, a state-set .8 percent tax on lost wagers and all three entities tax casino developments, including hotels, at commercial property tax rates.
The Warren County Board of Supervisors will meet again at 9 a.m. Monday.