A proposal to levy a five-cent local option fuel tax in Lake County for 10 years failed to secure the supermajority vote required by law, leaving county leaders to continue patching together funding for road resurfacing from existing sources.

The ordinance would have taken effect Jan. 1, 2026, added a new five cents per gallon in Lake County, and distributed proceeds among the county and city municipalities. As read into the record before the vote, the measure required a higher threshold, known as a super majority. In this case, 4 out of 5 commissioners needed to vote yes.

Public Works Operations Director Jordan Salinger outlined why staff brought the proposal forward again. Resurfacing needs are rising and traditional revenue sources are constrained. Impact fees, she said, can only be u

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