Looking north in the 1500 block of Southwest Walnut Street on Sunday afternoon. Near the top, a loose hubcap.
A hubcap lying in the middle of Walnut Street, not far from a rain-filled pothole, was a reminder that Albany faces decisions about possible ways to raise more money to repair streets.
I saw that hubcap on a random bike ride down Walnut Street on Sunday afternoon. About 20 or 30 feet away, there was what looked like a pothole of impressive size.
I’m guessing here, but I’m thinking that the hubcap was in that spot because the car it belongs to hit that pothole square. The impact jarred the wheel enough to pop the hubcap off, and after rolling a few feet the disc came to rest.
Potholes like this are to be found –and avoided if you can — in many local streets in long-established Albany neighborhoods. That’s because for at least the last 50 years, one city council after another and successive City Hall administrators have always found more urgent things on which to spend the city’s available cash.
That’s why the council this year is preparing to enact a street maintenance fee as a surcharge on the monthly water and sewer bills Albany residents pay.
The council is also preparing to make another attempt to get voters to approve a local fuel tax.
A consulting firm has been hired by the city to conduct focus groups and an opinion survey to prepare for a gas tax campaign. The tax would be a few cents a gallon, but the amount has yet to be determined.
The consultant, Consor North America Inc., will be paid about $98,500. Public Works Director Chris Bailey said the firm helped Portland pass — and recently renew — a 10-cent local fuel tax.
On Feb. 26 Bailey told the council that the decision to place a fuel-tax measure on the November election ballot must be made by July. That’s to meet various deadlines.
In the meantime, potholes remind Albany drivers that street repairs are on the city’s mind.
As for that lonely hubcap, I moved it out of the driving lane on Walnut and leaned it against the curb on the west side of the street. (hh)
This is where I left the hubcap that was lying in the middle of the 1500 block of Southwest Walnut on Sunday.
I’m glad you’re out there riding your bike and keeping the people informed of what’s going on in our little town which is growing very quickly. Thank you
did you look in the hole for the car that hub cap belongs on?
Another tax “piggie backed” onto fundamental utilities? When will it end.
When did it become legal to tax us on essentials that we must have to live, but allow us no say whatsoever in the matter?
If the town doesn’t want to approve a tax what then? Just take it anyway?
Human nature has proven that when something like this is allowed to stand unchallenged, it will be turned to whenever necessary. “Necessary” being an ever increasing moving purse that is invaded at will.
Oppression like this is ugly and far beyond tone deaf.
It requires us to have faith in the judgement and fairness of individuals who may or may not have any understanding of or compassion for anyone’s particular living situation.
Much like earlier times, this places us at the mercy of the King and their inner circle.
It doesn’t make one feel confident or secure about the future.
It amazes me they want to tax people to pay for street repair not having the money to do so but have no problem spending 23 million dollars on the Monteith Park remodel and new city vehicles I see around town. What a farce !
Why should our local citizens here in Albany believe that another tax will help solve our poorly maintained streets? If the city has $98,500 to spend for a consulting firm to push an ad campaign (which seems like mismanagement of funds) the city needs to show us that our tax dollars haven’t been diverted to other projects. There seems to be a need for an Albany DOGE.
Rest assured that any amount added to your monthly utilities will be characterized as a “trifling” amount. …as decided by your superiors. You know, it’s the ol’ “for the mere price of only one Starbucks latte-a-day… Surely we all can agree that to be a statistically insignificant sum? Well, if you don’t agree then I can’t relate to you…What are you anyway? A bum?