Funding Sources

The several activities of the County Engineer are financed from various sources. The major responsibility, the upkeep of roads and bridges, is primarily financed by highway user fees such as motor vehicle fuel taxes and registration fees. Supplemental funds such as our 0.5 mill Road, Bridge and Culvert levy are available for specific highway improvement purposes.

Fuel taxes earmarked for highway purposes are levied at the state and federal levels of government. State revenues are distributed for use in the State, County, Township and Municipal Highway Systems by means of statutory formulas. The amount of the tax varies depending on legislative action. Also, some of the monies distributed to the states from federal funds are passed on to local governments on a project-by-project basis, with a ceiling on the amount that any one county, township or municipality may receive.

The income from state motor vehicle registration fees (after state administrative costs are deducted) is returned to the local government units on the basis of a statutory formula.  County, township and municipal government agencies have the authority to levy their own motor vehicle registration fee in the form of an additional tax up to $20 in $5 increments.

For more information, check our Annual Report page.