The Mower County board is taking a small step this week when it should just jump headlong into a discussion.

County commissioners and staff are planning to discuss the possibility of enacting a half-cent sales tax for roads at a League of Cities meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Racine Community Center.

It’s a tentative step forward that only delays what’s likely inevitable: The board discussing and seeking public input on road needs by following a timeline outlined by Public Works Director Mike Hanson. That would feature months of public discussions on a half-cent sales tax which would eventually lead to a board vote in August, but the board wasn’t quite ready to move ahead with that process.

On March 1, Hanson updated the board on the county’s extensive need for funding future road and bridge upkeep and repairs on Mower’s 405 miles of paved roads and 369 bridges.

The need is robust: Mower is facing more than $100 million in road and bridge needs for the next decade with projected funding shortfalls of more than $6 million a year.

County commissioners have not hid their displeasure for the state’s failure to enact legislation to address road funding last year. Commissioner Jerry Reinartz argued on March 1 that the board should wait for legislative action in the session.

But here’s the real kicker: Hanson told the board it’s highly unlikely any legislative action will fully address the issue.

That’s why the county needs to just bite the bullet and jump headlong into discussions.

That’s because there is no magic bullet for road and bridge funding in Mower County, in Minnesota or across the country. It’s a complex issue, and every option needs to at least be on the table.

Let’s break down the roughly $101 million need:

•Many roads haven’t been surfaced in 20 years or more, aside from pothole fixes, and the need for road construction projects is $86.3 million.

•The county currently has 60 structurally deficient bridges, which is down from 140 in 1998. With the Oakland Place Southeast bridge slated to be replaced next year, projections call for about $15.4 million in future bridge needs, which doesn’t include township bridges.

Just like any legislative action, the sales tax is far from a magic bullet. If approved, the half-cent sales tax would net about $1.5 million a year, but it would still leave a $5 million annual shortfall.

“Even if the sales tax is enacted, you’re going to have a huge gap annually in what you can actually do to these roads,” Hanson told the board March 1. “You’re not going to be able to do the whole system with the sales tax. What’s needed is for the local funding to be tied with possible future legislative funding so we that close this gap once and for all.”

Hanson also warned that current funding methods are unsustainable.

“If we don’t close this gap, you’re going to lose those pavements,” Hanson said. “And this is not just Mower County.”

With such a significant need facing the board for the next decade, it’s clear that every funding option should at least be on the table.

We’re not telling the board to approve the sales tax, but countywide discussions are needed on an issue that affects all residents. Talking with the League of Cities is a start, but the county needs feedback from all residents before eventually deciding how to move forward.

The public will need to come to the table and guide the board on how to best move forward on the complex issue.

Mower County Board of Commissioners

—Tim Gabrielson, 1st District: 507-433-2598, tim.gabrielson@co.mower.mn.us

—Polly Glynn, 2nd District, vice-chair: 507-269-4498, pglynn@co.mower.mn.us

—Jerry Reinartz, 3rd District: 507-219-2205, jreinartz@co.mower.mn.us

—Tony Bennett, 4th District: 507-440-1203, mowercounty@gmail.com

—Mike Ankeny, 5th District, chair: 507-433-4157, mankeny@co.mower.mn.us