Bonds OK’d for new facility, old debt
By Robert Cloud
A new Waupaca County highway facility moved one step closer to reality.
County supervisors approved $27.87 million in general obligation bonds to finance construction of the building.
At the county board’s meeting Tuesday, March 20, supervisors also approved $6.14 million to refund bonds from 2011.
County Highway Commissioner Casey Beyersdorf spoke to the board in response to supervisors who requested he compare Waupaca County’s proposed highway facility with the Calumet County highway facility built in 2016.
Waupaca County’s new 109,000-square-foot facility is estimated to cost $27.6 million.
Calumet County’s 48,600-square-foot facility cost $7.9 million to build.
“Quite frankly, it’s not an apples to apples comparison,” Beyersdorf said. “It’s an apples to pineapples comparison.”
Beyersdorf noted Waupaca County maintains 333 centerline miles of county roads and 547 lane miles of state and federal highways.
Calumet County maintains 221 miles of county roads and 202 lane miles of state and federal roads.
Calumet’s services include only asphalt paving and bridge maintenance.
In addition to paving and bridge repair, Waupaca provides full road maintenance services to 18 municipalities, minor services to 16 more municipalities, full construction, engineering and survey assistance to municipalities and repair service for vehicles belonging to the sheriff’s office and others.
Beyersdorf said Waupaca County employs a total of 70 people, while Calumet employs 22.
Waupaca County’s price tag also includes additional buildings for salt storage, a fuel station, vehicle storage and a scale.
Waupaca County’s project is not only larger than Calumet’s, but its cost includes installing infrastructure, water and sewer lines, gas lines, electrical and fiber optics.
Supervisors voted 23-1 in favor of $34.1 million in bonds for the project and refinancing debt.
“My constituents agree that a new highway facility is needed to replace the aging structure,” said Supervisor Pat Craig, who voted against the bond. “They do not agree that the price is right. The price of $27.87 million is too high.”
Craig also believes the county is taking on too much debt.
After the bonds are issued in the fall of this year, Waupaca County’s total debt will be $47.2 million.
“In our budget, our debt service levy is 20 percent of our total levy,” Craig said. “Every 20 cents of the dollar goes to debt.”
Craig said the county needs to spend money on the maintenance of its other buildings, which will also require additional debt in the future.
“My constituents are saying, ‘Fix the roads, fix the roads,’” according to Supervisor Joe McClone.
He said the current highway facility was built in the 1930s and has become inefficient and unsafe.
“It’s like throwing money into a hole,” McClone said.
He said interest rates and construction costs are rising and the county should act soon.
“We have to think out 50 years, not today,” McClone said. “If we don’t get this completed now, it’s only going to cost more the next time around.”