Town bracing for state funding cut

Belgium Town Chairman Tom Winker often beams with pride about the quality of town roads and the compliments he regularly hears about them.

Maintaining that standout level may get a bit more challenging in the near future.

Winker told the Town Board on Monday that he saw a clip of the state secretary of transportation discussing the impact of the coronavirus on the transportation budget, namely the lower gas tax revenue.

“He was talking in next year’s transportation budget, because of the lack of traffic out there on the roads there could be a significant shortfall,” Winker said.

Winker said he thinks the 2021 state transportation budget is $2.1 billion.

“They’re thinking somewhere between $400 and $600 million shortfall, so don’t think Big Brother is going to make us whole at the end of the day. We just need to prepare ourselves. We’ll just have to plan accordingly,” he said.

Winker explained the town’s priority in taking care of its roads.

“Obviously, the first thing we need to do is snow removal and after that, we see what’s left,” he said.

Winker said he expects the town will receive its full aid amount this year. Clerk Ginger Murphy said payments come in January and in fall.

Winker, a truck  driver, is hopeful that things are turning around.

“Just from my personal perspective, the traffic does seem to be coming back. There seems to be more, especially northbound traffic going up to the great north woods,” he said.

“That’s a good sign, but I think we need to anticipate there’s going to be some shortfalls and we’re just not going to have as much money to spend on roads. I just don’t know how else to say it, and if we don’t anticipate that now, we won’t be ready for it when it comes. It’s something we’re following.”

In other business, Supr. Tom Bichler said last month’s e-cycle day had a “tremendous turnout.”

The event was so big he suggested holding a second e-cycle day.

“The good news is it looks like this one isn’t going to cost us anything,” Winker said, referencing that a different company, Keirmar of Fredonia, provided staff and dumpsters for the event for free this year.

“Everybody kind of has it in their schedule that it’s once a year,” Supr. Bill Janeshek said. “I’m not against having two.”

The town plans to discuss the issue at its July meeting.

Regardless, Winker pointed out the benefit of e-cycle day.

“I’m just so glad they don’t end up in the ditch. All three of us (two supervisors and Winker), on our own time, pick up crap out of the ditch, and it’s very disappointing that people are that shortsighted to think us three have nothing else better to do than pick up garbage out of the ditch. It’s just so sad.”