Roads issue in county judge race

In the race for county judge of Boone County, the Republican nominee faces opposition from two independents.

Robert Hathaway defeated two other Republicans — Dan Harness and Danny Hall — in the May primary and subsequent runoff election.

In the coming election, he faces independents Gary Bundy and Bobby Woods.

The three are competing for the seat left open by James Norton, county judge since 2011, who didn’t run for re-election this year.

Hathaway said he has worked f or t he Boone County Road Department for 25 years, and he believes that gives him an edge in the Nov. 4 general election.

County judges are responsible for county roads, buildings and emergency services.

They have no jurisdiction over state highways or city streets.

County judges are the chief executives in their counties and direct the quorum court meetings.

Hathaway said Boone County has about 1 , 500 miles of roads, most of them dirt and gravel.

“I’ve been through five different county judges, and I’ve learned something from every one of them,” said Hathaway. “Most of the judges have told me the roads are 75 [ percent] to 80 percent of your duties. I know more about them than anyone else around here, that’s for sure. … I think I would be better at taking care of the roads.”

The county has 11 road graders, 10 of which are operated full time, Hathaway said.

The graders run a cir- cuit covering the county’s dirt roads about once every three months, he said.

Hathaway said he designed and wrote codes and standards for many of the low-water crossings on dirt roads in Boone County. It’s better to design them so that dirt roads on either end of the culverts wash out instead of taking the concrete and culverts out, he said.

Hathaway said he also has experience dealing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Bundy i s director of maintenance for Davis Construction Co. of Harrison. He said his background in heavy equipment would make him a good county judge.

He said he worked for several years as a GM-certified mechanic and at a Dodge Chrysler dealership in Harrison.

He said he is skeptical of Hathaway’s claim that all county roads are graded every three months.

“They don’t grade them every three months,” said Bundy. “There are some roads that haven’t been graded in a year. … I’d like to see them graded three or four times a year. The school buses travel a lot of dirt roads, and the emergency vehicles need to be able to get around.”

Mowing the right of way along county roads is also being neglected, said Bundy. Along some curves, bushes hang over the road and obstruct visibility, he said.

“It’s a safety issue at that point,” said Bundy.

To avoid the branches, Bundy said, people drive in the middle of the county roads. That can be problematic when vehicles meet.

“It ’ s not good when you’re trying to dodge and weave,” he said.

Hathaway said the county has two large mowers and two operators, and they stay busy cutting grass along the county roads.

“We have an usual growth this year with all the rain,” said Hathaway.

Bundy said county officials have “lost touch” with people who live in the rural areas of Boone County. They don’t return telephone calls, he said.

“People aren’t happy,” he said. “They feel like they’re left out.”

Bundy said his motto is “just treat everybody the same.”

Woods said he has 34 years of experience in business and has operated his own company, Coldwell Banker Homestead Realty in Harrison, for 24 years.

Wo od s said he is well- suited to be county judge because he has dealt with complicated matters including finance, contracts, business law, and state and federal regulations.

The county’s budget is about $ 11 million, Woods said, and the county judge is responsible for spending about $ 4.5 million of that directly.

Maintaining roads and heading Quorum Court meetings are primary issues, Woods said.

“County roads are somewhat neglected,” said Woods. “The Quorum Court needs leadership and guidance in their meetings and all.”

Woods also questioned the three- month cycle of road-grading. Several years ago, some county roads were demoted to “public access roads,” which are maintained on an “as-needed” basis, Woods said.

That means they might not be graded any more than once a year, he said.

“I think they need a routine maintenance schedule, grading them on a routine and regular basis,” Woods said.

Woods said he is able to negotiate and reason with people.

The county judge post is a full- time position that pays $53,519 a year.