Mower County officials aren’t sure what the answer is, but they know road funding is on the public’s mind.

“The roads and bridges are our biggest concern in District 2,” said Commissioner Polly Glynn of her district, which is made up of rural towns and agricultural land.

For several years, many rural residents have expressed concern about the condition of the county’s roads, a key infrastructure for farmers and residents. County leaders are watching closely as the state Legislature unveils funding packages for transportation.

“I don’t know what the answer is, but somehow they’ve got to generate some income,” Glynn said.

Counties rely heavily on funds from the state and — to a lesser degree — the federal level. The county receives state gas tax money for county state aid highways. The county also vies for bonding money for things like the Oakland Place bridge replacement, a project that will cost an estimated $2.3 million. While the state approved bonding dollars for bridges last year, most went to a few projects, leaving the county without money to replace the Oakland Place bridge.

Like other county engineers in the state, Public Works Director Mike Hanson is watching the Legislature closely. But he’s taking a wait-and-see approach, as he’s heard such discussions before.

“I’m hoping that there is a breakthrough so that there can be some additional funding,” Hanson said. “I’m not going to hold my breath, because in the past, it always comes up and dies.”

Even if the larger bills aren’t passed, Hanson said he’s hopeful that Austin projects, especially the Oakland Place bridge, will get funding in the future.

“We’ll just have to see where it goes,” Hanson said.

Glynn took a similar approach to the Legislature’s discussions.

“I don’t know what the answer is, but somehow they’ve got to generate some income,” she said.

It can cost about $800,000 or more to repave a mile of rural roads, and it can cost $1.3 million to $2 million to replace city roads, according to Hanson. The average township bridge costs $130,000 to replace, Hanson said.

The county has some options for road funding it can exercise outside the state.

In 2013, the state approved a wheelage tax and a half-cent sales tax as options for counties to fund local road and bridge projects. In June of 2013, the Mower board approved a $10 wheelage tax, which is paid when drivers renew licenses. That was estimated to bring in $357,000 a year.

At meetings, the county board has informally discussed the half-cent local options sales tax, which could be used to fund specific projects. While it’s an option, Glynn said the board has no immediate plans to move forward with the tax.

“It’s another option to look at, whether we would drop it or not, we haven’t even got that far,” Glynn said.