Residents still noisy about streets

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 14, 2005

EUTAW-Residents of King’s Village once again voiced concerns about the conditions of their streets. Since being incorporated into the city of Eutaw the new areas have hoped to see conditions improve as far as their streets are concerned. However, limited funding has left the future of the streets uncertain.

At Tuesdays meeting of the Eutaw City Council many of the same arguments were heard again. Citizens asked when relief would come and the council once again gave them an honest answer.

Luther White, who was present at the last meeting, said he felt something needed to be done soon.

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“I believe what you are talking about is the long haul,” White said. “We can’t wait a month. We need something done to our streets now.”

White said the problems has gotten to the point that h has trouble getting to his home without damaging his car.

“I can’t get into my house,” White said. “You have got to do something. Something needs to be done now. What you are saying is that it is going to be a while off. Something needs to be done now.”

Eutaw Mayor Raymond Steele said he would love to be able to fix every street in Eutaw if the funding were there. Steele said he was determined to get the streets fixed, but there is no quick fix solution.

“I am doing everything that I can,” Steele said. “My passion for fixing those streets down there is just as great as yours or anyone else’s. I want to see the streets fixed and I am doing anything and everything I can to find funding.”

Street repairs put an enormous financial strain on city’s if they are unable to secure grants. Steele said without some kind of help the funding just isn’t in place.

“Do we have the money? No,” Steele said. “We just don’t have it and there is no way for me to sit here and even allow you to think that we have the money to do this. We just don’t have the money in our budget right now.”

If the city were to use their funds it would clean out the entire budget. Steele said to repair the streets would mean putting all other projects on hold.

“In order to fix those streets down there it would take the entire budget that the City of Eutaw has got and we would have to stop everything else. We are doing everything we can to get the money.”

Steele said the problem has existed for some time and he would continue to work toward an answer.

“The roads have been this way for years,” Steele said. “I am trying to find a way to end these problems. We are trying to make a resolution and trying to fix these roads.”