There may even be more orange barrels in view in the future, and that usually means additional traffic delays, but the schedule for construction between April and October will allow Belmont County to meet federal mandates and attract future industrial development.
Over the next 11 months several long overdue infrastructure projects are set to take place involving water and sewer systems, according to Commissioner J.P Dutton.
“This year will be a historic one in a few ways,” he said. “In the first quarter of this year, we will complete the largest building renovation project in our history. By the second quarter, we should be witnessing the groundbreaking of many of our water and sewer projects that have long been in the works through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“The project is the largest ever awarded in the state of Ohio and funds much needed upgrades to Belmont County’s system, including a new water treatment plant that will serve our residents for decades to come,” he said. “I also plan to continue to push the importance of infrastructure. Our upcoming water and sewer projects are our highest of priority projects, but we need to begin planning for the phases to follow.”
Above Ground, Too
Although the roadways in Belmont County do not fall under the Commission’s jurisdiction, Dutton and his two colleagues are focused on an issue they hear most about during regular meetings and via email and phone calls.
The roads, of course, and broadband, too.
“I will continue to advocate partnering on federal and state funding opportunities for road infrastructure,” the commissioner said. “Even though, the maintenance of our roads is the responsibility of a separate elected official (county engineer) with his own, separate budget, we need to continue to find opportunities to improve one of our most glaring issues. We have been successful in the past couple of years to secure funding through our Ohio Public Works Commission committee and our Transportation Improvement District board.
“I will continue to advocate for oil and gas severance tax funds in Columbus to be utilized for road infrastructure in energy- producing counties like ours. Broadband efforts also will continue,” he said. “We have found unique projects in recent years like partnering with Agile to provide wireless broadband, but we continue to try to better the service for our residents. In fact, through the Belmont County Port Authority, we are currently in the beginning phase of a project that could be very promising. All of these efforts are crucial for increasing economic development in Belmont County.”
It All Takes Money
The general fund for the Belmont County Commission is generated mostly by sales tax in the county, and that includes the Ohio Valley Mall and plaza, but also all other businesses from border to border. The pandemic forced all non-essential businesses to close for two months, but while the federal CARES Act funds stabilized, restrictions since have forced a 20-35 percent across-the-board decrease in sales.
That period of time, of course, included a Christmas shopping season when online buying was more popular than in-person present picking.
“The challenges that businesses continue to face due to COVID-19 is what I fear most when it comes to the future,” Dutton said. “Our local businesses have been extremely resilient, but it continues to be a struggle for many.
“We provided assistance through a small business grant program that we administered last year with federal funds,” he explained. “We will continue to work with our small business community to find ways to offer assistance as we move forward.”
The Commission’s budget, Dutton expects, will be stable no matter what.
“I feel very confident with Belmont County’s current financial position because we have worked very hard over the past few years on fiscal matters. This work has resulted in lower budgets, removing old debt, and eliminating a property tax levy for the first time in at least decades,” he said. “Taking these steps allowed Belmont County to weather 2020 without taking drastic steps of layoffs or reducing services to residents.
“In fact, in some cases, we have increased services. Senior Services of Belmont County, for example, is one of the premier senior agencies in Ohio, and it continues to increase the amount of meals provided each day to residents to over 1,100 currently,” Dutton added. “I do not see drastic cuts in our future as long as we can emerge from the pandemic this year which I believe that we will. Despite the continued cloud of COVID-19, I remain optimistic about the local economy. We are going to continue to make the budget a year-long effort which has been a priority of mine since joining the Commision.”
