The Butler County Engineer's
Office is the agency responsible for the maintenance and upgrade
of Butler County Ohio's transportation system. Our projects and
services promote safety, efficiency, and economic development.
Our traditions of quality public service and local control, fiscal
responsibility, and public accountability are not new concepts
to the citizens we have served. We've been working to make travel
safer and more efficient since 1932. From computer-aided bridge
design and construction to state-of-the-art snow and ice control,
the BCEO is a full-service transportation agency proudly serving
all Butler Countians.
The County Engineer
and his staff are responsible for the "construction, reconstruction,
maintenance, and repair of all bridges and highways within his
county that are under the jurisdiction of the board of county
commissioners," according to the Ohio Revised Code (ORC),
Section 5543.01.
- Which roads does the
Butler County Engineer maintain? Click
here for a list.
As of January 1, 2011
the county roadway system in Butler County includes:
- 267.3 centerline miles
- 607 lane miles
- 399 bridges (inspection, maintenance,
replacement)
- 1,024 culverts
- 76 traffic signals
The ORC also states
that the county engineer's office is responsible for the "construction,
reconstruction, resurfacing, or improvement of roads by boards
of township trustees...," meaning that the Butler County
Engineer serves as the engineer for the thirteen townships and
their network of roadways as well. For a specific outline of
the duties of the county engineer, please read Duties
on the P.E., P.S. page. The BCEO does
not perform maintenance on city streets, residential streets,
interstate, U.S., or state routes. Please contact your local
city or township, or the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)
regarding maintenance information on their road systems.
All potential projects
are identified and developed by BCEO engineers, who also determine
a funding source for each project
and place them on a time line for design and construction. For
an overview of project development, planning, and construction,
please see Project Development.
- WHERE
THE MONEY COMES FROM
-
- Primary local
funding sources:
- Gasoline taxes
- License plate fees
- Average annual
income generated from the above two sources:
The County Engineer's
major responsibility, the upkeep of roads and bridges, is primarily
financed by highway user fees such as motor vehicle fuel taxes
and license registration fees. Supplemental funds (voted bond
issues and levies, as well as fines) are available for specific
highway improvements.
Fuel taxes earmarked
for highway purposes are levied at the state and federal levels
of government. State revenues are distributed for use on the
State, County, Township, and Municipal roadway systems by means
of statutory formulas. The amount of the tax varies depending
upon legislative action. Some monies distributed to the states
from federal funds are passed on to local governments on a project-by-project
basis.
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. Currently the distribution percentages
average 71% for counties, 24% for municipalities, and 5% for
townships.
All revenue is important
as local match money for leveraging state and federal grant money.
Butler County is Ohio's second fastest growing county, which
puts a strain on existing roadways that were not originally designed
to handle today's high traffic volumes. To keep traffic flowing
smoothly and safely requires adequate funding for much-needed
projects. The BCEO has been a leader among Ohio counties in the
aggressive pursuit of state and federal grants. For a full explanation
of federal, state, and local funding sources, please see Funding Sources.
