STATEHOUSE (Feb. 20, 2019) — State Rep. Michael Ayleworth’s (R-Hebron) legislation to help counties hire highway engineers and move forward on road projects recently advanced out of the House of Representatives.
According to Aylesworth, county highway engineers are vital to county governments because their expertise in planning and construction ensures road projects are completed more quickly and efficiently. With increased construction projects in recent years, Aylesworth said the demand for these highly skilled professionals has increased significantly, yet salaries have remained the same. This legislation would increase state funding for county highway engineers’ annual salaries.
“County highway engineers play an important role in the on-time completion of local road projects,” Aylesworth said. “However, funds provided to counties by the state to hire these professionals have not kept up with increasing demand. To help county governments become more competitive in attracting and retaining qualified engineers, we must ensure they are appropriately compensated.”
Currently, the state contributes $20,000 annually to each county highway engineer’s salary. Under Aylesworth’s legislation, the state would increase the amount to $40,000 as long as the county’s contribution to the salary is equal to or greater than the prior year.
Aylesworth’s bill also outlines state funding for counties sharing an engineer. Currently, if a highway engineer is employed by two counties working jointly, each county receives $10,000 to contribute to the engineer’s annual salary. This legislation would increase the amount to $40,000. Aylesworth said this change would encourage neighboring counties to work together.
In 2017, Aylesworth supported Indiana’s largest, fully-funded infrastructure investment plan, which resulted in increased funding for road and bridge construction projects at state and local levels. He said this record investment is why highway engineers are currently in such high demand.
House Bill 1025 now moves to the Senate for consideration. For more information, visit iga.in.gov.
-30-
State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) represents House District 11,
which includes portions of Lake and Porter counties.
CAPTION: State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron) presents his legislation helping counties hire highway engineers and move forward on road projects Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, in the House Chamber. Under Aylesworth’s proposal, the state would increase their contribution to a county highway engineer’s salary as long as the county’s contribution is equal to or greater than the prior year. The bill passed out of the House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
