Hawkins Co. wheel tax revenue to pay for repairs to Goshen Valley Bridge

HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Hawkins County Commission voted on Monday night to use funds from the county’s wheel tax to pay for repairs to the Goshen Valley Bridge.

Hawkins County Mayor Mark DeWitte told News Channel 11 on Friday that the commission was informed money from the county’s property tax was earmarked for other uses and therefore could not be used to repair the bridge.

In order to fund the repairs, which will cost $1.5 million, commissioners voted to use money generated by the county’s wheel tax. The wheel tax money had been placed in the county’s undesignated general fund, and commissioners approved a budget amendment to cover the bridge repairs.

According to DeWitte, commissioners approved transferring the money in the county’s budget to an “Other Capital Projects” line which will be used for the repairs.

DeWitte specified that the wheel tax revenue is not solely designated to Hawkins County road repairs. The wheel tax also benefits the county’s schools and general fund.

A timeline for the repairs was not available as of Friday, but DeWitte said Monday’s vote would get the ball rolling.

The Goshen Valley Bridge has been in the public eye for months. In March, the Goshen Valley Volunteer Fire Department announced it would no longer travel on the bridge after a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) report. That report ranked the bridge at a score of 6 out of 100; bridges with scores less than 50 qualify for replacement.

TDOT has recommended the bridge be replaced. DeWitte said TDOT provided the county with a list of actions to take to get the bridge’s weight limit back up to at least 18 tons and extend its life for 7-10 years. By extending the bridge’s life, the county hopes to have the time to acquire the funding needed to completely replace the bridge.

Hawkins County Schools has also rerouted its bus routes to avoid the Goshen Valley Bridge . DeWitte and county commissioners hope the repairs will improve the weight limit and safety on the bridge enough to allow school buses to use the bridge again.

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