Too much snow and water have taken their toll on Ward County township roads.
"It's awful," said Willis Township chairman Nathan Smith, Sawyer. "We have major problems and no money to fix them. Snow removal cleaned out our budget pretty much, and now we have had water running over almost every road in our township. We have several that are washed out almost completely.
"I would not be surprised if we have over $100,000 worth of work in our township just to get it back to where it was, and it wasn't very good," he said.
The winter was so hard on roads that Willis Township residents were willing to chip in money to buy gravel to help their cash-strapped township get some of the roads back into shape. But flooding changed all that. More than gravel is needed now. Recovery will depend on the Federal Emergency Management Agency coming through for them, Smith said.
Townships are hoping for help from the state to address their snow removal costs.
Jack Hansen, supervisor in Passport Township, Berthold, said snow removal gobbled up 90 percent of the township's budget. The roads need gravel, but given the budget constraints, he said, there are some roads that may have to go without.
Jill Schramm
