State budget cuts rough on roads

SHARON — Like other towns throughout the state, Sharon will also be feeling the pinch in its road maintenance budget if Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s proposed budget passes for fiscal 2009-10.

The town was alloted $172,597 in road fund grants from the state for fiscal 2008-09. If Rell’s proposed budget passes, for fiscal 2009-10 Sharon would receive $126,571, a loss of $46,026 in funds.

“This will mean that either taxpayers will have to pay more to maintain the roads or we’re going to have to let them deteriorate,� First Selectman Malcolm Brown said about the proposed budget in an interview after the selectmen’s meeting Feb. 10. “There would be road projects that we have had in the works that would be affected. This has hit every town.�

Brown said the town has 87 miles of roads, 60 made out of asphalt and 27 miles made out of dirt.

“It’s going to be an interesting budget process,� Selectman John Mathews said. “It’s gotten much worse than it used to be. In the past, we’ve gotten some good road aid from the state. But in the past few years it’s been cut and cut and cut and cut. We have ditch and culvert problems in town that we have to deal with.�