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One for two more is good deal for taxpayers

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  • By the Advocate Editorial Board
  • Originally published November 18, 2009 at 4:33 p.m., updated November 19, 2009 at 12:25 a.m.

We commend Victoria County Commissioners Court for working with the Texas Department of Transportation to bargain for two new bridges by paying for a third. And that meant saving $1.15 million in taxes for local taxpayers.

Commissioner Wayne Dierlam said he thinks the deal saved county taxpayers the cost of rebuilding those two bridges that the state agreed to build.

The county spent $122,000 to build a third bridge at J-2 Ranch Road at Wagner Flats in northern Victoria County.

In turn, the state agreed to fix two bridges on its substandard list at Salem Road over Garcitas Creek and an old timber bridge on Edna's Lane west of Bloomington.

Both bridges, which had been rated insufficient by the state, have been upgraded.

"On that old timber bridge west of Bloomington, you had to drive nails down before you could drive over it," Dierlam said.

He took advantage of the state's 90-10 program, in which the state pays 90 percent and the county pays 10 percent.

"We started back in 1999, working on getting the rights of way. All the roads were so narrow, and when it rained out there, the roads would become ditches," Dierlam said.

He said the right of way for the road was 28 to 30 feet wide. He sent letters to the property owners and made a deal to agree on 60 feet wide. Part of that deal was to replace fencing, which he said he would be doing.

"It took three years to get everybody to agree. It takes time to get things done," he said.

Work on the bridges' upgrades began when Dierlam was elected commissioner in 1999, and he had immediately recognized a problem with the bridges.

Again, we commend Dierlam for working for these improvements to Precinct 4 in Victoria County. And we thank the Texas Department of Transportation for all of its help to make this deal possible.

This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.


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Comments

  • Observer Observer Report a ViolationReport a Violation Permalink

    Sounds as though Commissioner Dierlam is doing the job for which he was elected. Let us hope that our other elected officials take note and are inspired to follow in his footsteps.

    November 19, 2009 at 12:23 p.m.