MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — At least one of the Monongalia County Commissioner’s is officially throwing the weight of his title in supporting the October 7 vote to issue more than $1.5 billion dollars in road bonds.
“We have the opportunity to have 230 million dollars worth of road repair and new roads built in our county,” Tom Bloom said. “The key being that there are no taxes.”
Bloom said Monongalia County voters should vote yes to issue the road bonds, suggesting that it would serve a number of purposes in Monongalia County — from financial to safety-related. He said none of these problems it addresses can be ignored much longer.
“In the studies, it will lower 7,000 cars per day on neighborhood roads,” he said. “Not only is this less traffic, less use of the roads, but also a safety factor.”
The around $230 million going to Monongalia County mostly focuses on eight major projects. Bloom said there are a few in particular that should encourage the voters of Monongalia County to turn out on October 7.
“It also is going to develop and repair Greenbag Road, re-do the whole intersection by the University Town Center and Chaplin Hill Road to make it more safe, and other major roads,” Bloom said.
In particular, Bloom emphasized that this was like choosing between buying a house “immediately” or waiting 15 to 20 years and then never doing it at all.
“To me this is a no-brainer,” Bloom said. “We’re getting close to 15 percent of the funds for the entire state. This is a one-time opportunity without additional taxes.”
Additionally, Bloom is concerned that voters don’t realize that the aren’t voting for any new taxes — but the authorization of how to use tax revenues passed during the most recent legislative session. He said the state’s plan clearly acknowledges the issues Monongalia County commuters have known for years: local infrastructure needs an overhaul.
The road bond vote is set for October 7.