Tuesday, Jan 11 2011 6:16PM
In rural Arizona, Gila County is using some money designated for educational development for road construction.
Officials in Gila County, Arizona, are facing criticism from area residents for using money designated for rural school development toward road construction, reported the Payson Roundup.
The county receives federal funding through the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. These funds are provided to cover property taxes when a county or school district has a large amount of federal land in addition to sales tax revenues lost because of a decline in timber, cattle and mining sales.
While 75 percent of the rural schools money is set aside for educational purposes, Gila County District One supervisor Tommie Martin said the remaining 25 percent can be used for a number of other projects geared toward rural community development, including road construction.
Gila County plans on using the funding for land in the Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Martin told the newspaper, although the county is still required to apply for a grant from its Resource Advisory Committee before the projects can begin.
Some Gila County schools have begun to install solar panels in their facilities. According to the Payson Roundup, the installation of solar panels at Payson High School, funded using money from the stimulus bill, is the largest of its kind in the state and will reduce the school district's electric and power costs by at least half.