Rising fuel costs means reduced travel for some but for local government, it is business as usual. Franklin County Sheriff Bill Wilson said patrols could not be eliminated just because the price of gasoline increases.
“There are 19 vehicles on the road, including those for the deputies and investigators,” he said. “Another five or six vehicles that are part of the detention center also fuel up at the gas pump right outside the sheriff’s department. The vehicles that are part of the sheriff’s department average in age from 1999 to 2006 models and average between 14 and 22 miles per gallon.
“Of the $63,000 budgeted for fuel for 2007-08, $46,339.26 had been spent by June 30,” Wilson said. “At this rate, we will run over budget before the end of the fiscal year. We can not decrease our call volume. When not on patrol, deputies are responding to 911 calls and serving warrants.”
Wilson said this is not the first time fuel costs have exceeded the budget. “We spent more than budgeted during four of the past five years,” he said. “We spent about $6,700 less than our allotted budget last year. What we do not spend goes back into the general fund. The detention center also reimburses a portion of its fuel consumption back to the general fund.”
He said fuel costs are only part of the equation. “In addition to putting fuel in the tank, we also have maintenance and repair costs,” Wilson said. “Everything continues to increase in cost and we have to keep pace. That is why it is so important for the county to pass a public safety tax. The county board has a working committee that has been meeting for the past several months. As a member of the working committee, we are trying to come up with a way to continue to provide the same services we have been providing at a reduced cost. Franklin County is one of only a few counties in the surrounding area that has not passed a safety tax.”
County highway Superintendent Mike Rolla said roads must be maintained, despite the fuel cost.
“There are 600 miles of roads to be maintained by cities, townships and the county,” he said. “As with other government entities, we do not pay tax on the fuel we use, which saves us between 16- and 17-cents per gallon. We have a 1,000-gallon storage tank that is filled twice a week in the summer.
“We are able to save a little bit of money during the winter months because all of the campgrounds are closed, which means we do not drive as much,” Rolla said. “Our Motor Fuel Tax allotment has also been cut from last year. We are receiving 19.5 cents per gallon of gasoline and 20 cents per gallon of diesel fuel, which is a five-percent drop. This is a huge concern for the department and the first year we have seen a reduction in the MFT allotment.”
He said counties have extensive unfunded highway and bridge maintenance needs.
“Information I received from the Illinois Association of County Engineers indicates a revenue shortfall of more than $470 million in 2006 in MFT revenue,” Rolla said. “County MFT revenues increased an average of only two percent in the past seven years, which has reduced purchasing power by 35 percent. Approximately 49 percent of MFT money goes to municipalities and a little less than 16 percent goes to townships and road districts.”
Rolla said the highway department spent $42,000 for fuel in the first six months of the year. “That is above the $37,500 spent during the first six months of the previous year,” he said. “We have $75,000 budgeted for fuel for the year and are worried that we will go over budget. We have cut back on mowing in order to save money. We started mowing later in the year, but still operate seven or eight vehicles with mower attachments during the summer. The roadwork does not stop just because the price of fuel went up. We average between five and six vehicles on the road filling potholes and performing other maintenance work during the rest of the year.”
Benton finance and accounts Commissioner Charles Webster said the community is struggling with the increased costs.
“Fuel costs have almost doubled in the past two years,” he said. “The Benton police department spent $3,579 from May 2005 to July of 2006. That amount rose to $3,931 during fiscal year 2007 and has jumped dramatically this year, up to $6,564.
“The fire department has increased its fuel usage from $1,464 from fiscal year 2007 to $2,367 this year,” Webster said. “Fuel costs for the street department jumped from $4,562 for 2006 to $6,765 this year.”
Streets and improvements Commissioner Don Wyant said vehicles used 200.9 gallons of diesel and gasoline in less than a month.
“Fuel costs from June 12 to July 3 were almost $1,172,” he said. “The increase is really putting a bind on us. We are worried that we may wind up short before the year ends. We have three pickup trucks, three dump trucks, a grader, a street sweeper, backhoes and a mowing tractor. Two of the pickups use diesel fuel and the other one use gasoline. Even though we are tax exempt, this is still a big blow to the department.”
Webster said the water department fuel costs increased from $4,405 in 2006 to $4,950 in 2007. “From May 2007 through July of this year, the department has used $7,209 in fuel,” he said. “The sewer department has also increased fuel consumption from $1,072 in 2006 to $2,073 this fiscal year.”
West City finance Chairman Mike Reed said fuel costs have fluctuated in the past three years.
“We spent more for fuel in 2006 than we did in 2007,” he said. “The combined costs for our police, fire and street departments was $28,865.03 in 2006, compared with $24,801.67 last year.
During the first six months of 2008, $13,905.31 has been spent for fuel,” Reed said. “That is a pretty good jump from last year but as prices start to go down, that may not be as bad as we think. I am surprised the price of fuel has not risen even higher.
Reed said the village operates four squad cars for the police department, a vehicle for the fire chief, two city street trucks, a fire engine and lawn mowers. “We buy fuel from the three gas stations in West City and pay what everyone else pays, minus the taxes,” he said.
Farmers are also trying to find ways to pinch pennies. Ernie and Judy Duckworth, owners of Jed’s Farm in rural Thompsonville, said they limit tractor use.
“We are doing more hand weeding,” he said.
“Ernie also borrowed a friend’s wagon when he was bringing in the hay,” Duckworth said. “That way he was able to bring in more hay in one trip, thus saving fuel.”
The situation is equally costly for Shannon Webb, owner of Webb Hill Farm in Ewing.
“I farm 700 acres of corn and soybeans,” he said. “We also have cattle, which makes it even more costly because we use fuel year around. The mineral feed for the cows has increased in price. In March, I bought three tons for $21 a bag. Since then, the price has jumped to $28 per bag and will cost $42 a bag the next time I have to buy it.
“Fuel usage is different for farm equipment,” Webb said. “In a car or truck, you can slow down to save on fuel but farm equipment is designed to operate at full speed. With row crops, there is also the cost of fuel to haul the crop to market. That also hurts because the trucks that are hauling the crops only get about three or four miles per gallon of fuel. That equals $80 per hour in fuel costs.”
Webb said costs would increase even more next year. “I talked with one of the people at F S this week and he is projecting it will cost $535 per acre for row crops next year,” he said. “The cost is $430 this year, which is double the cost of last year.
“The cost of fertilizer has also gone up,” Webb said. “Last year it was $525 per ton. Now the price is $1,050 per ton at the port in New Orleans. That does not include the trucking costs to get it here. The price of Roundup has also increased from $9 last year to $32 this year.”
Webb said the cost of seed beans would also increase with the next planting season. “The cost is $17 per unit now,” he said. “The price will increase to $36 per unit next year. Combined with the higher cost to feed the cattle, I will make less money than I made last year. There is no way to pass the cost on to others. Folks at market take $5 off the beef price for fuel costs. I can not add on a fuel surcharge. It is costing me more to go to work. Even if gas prices were to drop to $2 per gallon that does not mean the cost of everything else would decrease. The hardworking folks are paying the bills.”
Webb said the use of alternative fuels does not help reduce costs. “We use bio-diesel fuel but that only saves us about six cents per gallon,” he said. “I do not own newer vehicles that burn the E85 fuel, but even that is only about two cents cheaper than regular gasoline. Why spend $20,000 on a newer vehicle just to save two pennies per gallon of fuel?”
Shannon Webb’s father, Jay, said he farms 550 acres of Webb’s Hill Farm and also raises cattle.
“We have five tractors, a combine and four trucks,” he said. “We use bio-diesel fuel, which is between 15 and 20 cents per gallon cheaper but there is really nothing we can do to reduce fuel costs. The cattle have to be fed, the pastures have to be mowed to keep weeds from growing and the crops have to be sprayed.”
Webb said his fuel costs were $7,000 last year and between $12,000 and $14,000 this year. “Everything you buy came to the store by truck and they add on transport fees,” he said. “At the rate things are going there will be few farmers left.
“When we take the beef cattle to market, we are charged a fee to transport them somewhere else,” Webb said. “We can’t pass on surcharges. This is devastating. The politicians have let this get out of hand.”
Brian Hodge, superintendent of Akin Grade School, said the school’s two buses would use the same routes as last year.
“The higher prices will affect us a little but not as much as the larger districts,” he said. “We had 104 students last year and I think we will have an additional 15 more this year.”
Benton, Ill. —
