Letters to the Editor

I would like to add the rest of the story to what Adam Carlson wrote about me when I attended the Republican Central Committee meeting.

When asked how each of us would fund county roads Mr. Carlson was correct when I said the commissioners could raise the mills and I also said this would take a vote of the people who live out side the city of Roundup and the town of Melstone. This had been tried once and the voters had said no to the increase. I also said the County has almost 1 million dollars in cash in Federal Mineral Leasing revenue. This revenue comes from the mining of coal by Signal Peak Mine under federal land. Additional revenue comes in every year. It can be use only for infrastructure needs in the county. County roads are infrastructure. I suggested taking $100,000. a year and contract out for graveling roads. This could be done for 3 years with each district getting gravel on roads in that district and see how it works.

Mr. Carlson seemed to think that because I lived on Fattig Creek road that is why I wanted it fixed. I am a saver and I found the priority list from 1999 and I would like to list the 5 top priorities.

1. Homestead Road – 3 miles & fix culvert at end

2. Gravel Golf Course

3. Gravel East Parriott 1 ½ mile, Gravel Chandler 4 miles, Gravel Fattig Creek west of Seager place to highway. These were all lumped together because they were are in the same area and joined together.

4. Gravel #4

5. Gravel Fishel

20 years later East Parriott and Chandler still need to be done. South Fattig Creek road was completed to the Seager place in 2013. I live on Fattig Creek road, but the only time I use south Fattig creek is to go to Billings, which is not very often. South Fattig Creek has a subdivision with quite a number of residents that go out to work every day, residents get their mail on Old Divide Road, and children did live there that needed to get to the school bus. If we would look at conspiracies as Mr. Carlson would suggest, it would be that roads I drive one deliberately have not gotten done.

Having a priority road list does not mean it is set in stone and cannot change, but it does list the worst roads that need work the soonest. Road priority would be based on the condition of the road, the amount of traffic on the road, whether it is a school bus route, and other minor considerations. It helps to alleviate the good ole boy syndrome of having a commissioner agreed to fix a road because it was his friend’s road.

Sue Olson

Roundup