Law. Co. voters will be asked to renew half-cent sales tax to maintain roadways

Ending CIST would mean loss of more than $1.53 million annually for Lawrence County roads, bridges
When Lawrence County voters go to the poll in April, they will be asked to renew a half-cent CIST sales tax. The CIST tax, along with the CART sales tax, the Countywide Special Roads and Bridges tax levy and the Road District local property tax levy, raise the funds the county uses for road maintenance and repair. Bob Senninger, presiding commissioner of Lawrence County, warned that if the tax is not renewed, it would mean a serious loss of funding for the upkeep of the county’s roads.
“If voters turn down the renewal of the road and bridge sales tax, the county’s road districts will lose more than $1.53 million that is used for road maintenance and repair,” he said.
Senninger added that the tax is “not a tax increase,” and it will not include a sunset clause.
For 2020, the county plans to distribute more than $1.58 million in CIST sales tax revenue to the county’s 15 different road districts, according to figures provided by Tammy Riebe, Lawrence County clerk.
The county plans to replace two bridges this year. Senninger said one of the bridges to be replaced, BRO #27, is located northwest of Verona on Lawrence 2193, just off of Lawrence 2187. The second bridge, BRO #28, is located west of Marionville on Lawrence 2180.
In addition to the bridge replacements, Senninger said Common Road Districts I and II will continue to resurface various roads throughout their districts, “bringing some of the gravel roads into chip-and-seal status.”