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Warren County flip-flops on stimulus money

Commissioner Mike Kilburn says fellow commissioners have “lost their way.”

File photo Warren County will use federal stimulus money to pay for road surfacing projects.

By Marie Rossiter, Staff Writer Updated 2:05 PM Friday, May 8, 2009

Despite saying it adamantly opposed receiving federal stimulus money, Warren County will accept funds to pay for a $2.9 million road resurfacing project.

Warren County Commission voted Thursday, May 7, to accept the funds that will allow almost 10 miles of county road to be repaired. The federal money will come from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, which is funded by stimulus dollars, according to Engineer Neil Tunison said

“Usually, these projects come out of the county bridge and road funds,” Tunison said. “With the money saved there, we can focus on other projects around the county.”

The project list includes Columbia Road, Lytle Five Points Road, Kings Island Drive, Stubbs Mill Road, Manchester Road, Dixie Highway and Frankin-Trenton Road.

Commissioner Dave Young said he was concerned about using the money, saying the strings attached didn’t allow them to use it wisely.

“Common sense was thrown out here,” Young said. “We had other shovel-ready projects waiting, but because of the requirements, they weren’t eligible.”

Young and Commissioner Pat South acknowledged the resurfacing project needed to be done and if the county didn’t use this money, it would come out of the county’s general fund. Both voted to move the project forward in spite of their philosophical objections.

Commissioner Mike Kilburn, an outspoken opponent of stimulus funds, was not at the meeting to vote on the project and blasted the other commissioners for their vote.

“I’m disappointed with the vote,” Kilburn said. “Pat and Dave and Neil are doing what many good Republicans in Washington have done; they’ve lost their way and become big spenders.”

Last month, county commissioners rejected $373,000 allocated by the Ohio Department of Transportation for transit improvement from federal stimulus money.

Kilburn got national attention after saying he’d rather let Warren County go broke before taking any of “Obama’s filthy money.”

Kilburn said the stimulus package is a recipe for disaster and nothing more than a spending spree that will leave the country bankrupt.

According to Tunison, the project now goes back to ODOT to get the funds released and allow construction bids to start. He estimated bids could begin by the end of next month.

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