Endorsement: Yes to repair decaying roads in Blackberry Township

The Blackberry Township Road District has two problems: Too many rough roads and not enough money to take care of them.

This isn't the first time you've heard this. It's the fifth. That's how many times (2004, 2006, 2013 and 2015) this century the district has asked for more money to repair and maintain its 54 miles of paved roads. (There are six miles of gravel roads.)

Commissioner Rodney Feece said voters have never approved a tax increase for roads in more than 100 years.

Enough is enough.

The district has enough money to repave fewer than two miles of roads each year. Some roads have been relatively untouched for years. At the current rate, a road would be resurfaced every three decades. A study by Engineering Enterprises, Inc., showed nearly two-thirds of the roads are in fair or poor condition.

If you own a home worth $300,000 your tax bill would go up about $80 ($26.67 per $100,000 of valuation).

No one likes to pay more taxes but sometimes it's inevitable. This is one of those times. The 22 cents a day it would cost a taxpayer is a pittance in comparison to, among other issues, safety risks. We encourage a yes vote.