Pima County approves US$66.8 million for road repairs

PIMA, AZ – In its final approval of the FY 2023 budget, the Pima County Board of Supervisors included $66.8 million for road repair.

According to County information, the funding continues the commitment to repair all roads in the unincorporated areas to an average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) rating of 80 by 2030.

PCI ratings are an index of zero to 100 used to show the condition of road surfaces, with lower numbers indicating worse conditions. The $66.8 million funding allocation will provide for the repair and preservation of more than 272 miles of roadway, the County reported.

Since FY 2020, the Pima County Department of Transportation has completed or prepared bids to repair and preserve more than 750 miles of roadway. For fiscal years 2020 through 2022, the County has committed more than $177.5 million to make these repairs.

“We are excited to begin our fourth year of the Road Repair and Preservation Program,” said Department of Transportation Acting Director Kathryn Skinner. “The Board of Supervisors’ financial support has allowed us to develop a program to systematically improve road conditions throughout unincorporated Pima County.”

The Board of Supervisors adopted a financial program to use existing revenue sources to fund capital improvements, particularly road infrastructure in 2019. The resulting PAYGO program draws funds from a percentage of the growth in the County’s overall tax base and recaptures a portion of the taxes no longer needed to pay off the bonds, while continuing to reduce the County’s combined property tax rate over time.

Additional funding for road repairs will come from the Department’s Road User Revenue Fund, which is an appropriation from the state gas tax.