Marengo's Roads Were Rated 'Very Poor.' The Voter-Approved Sales Tax Is Fixing Them.

In October 2023, the city's road condition report delivered a stark assessment: Marengo's Pavement Condition Index had dropped to 35, classified as "very poor" on a 100-point scale. Sixty-nine percent of city roads were rated Very Poor, Serious, or Failed. ¹ The score had been declining for years, from 41 ("poor") in 2021, as deferred maintenance compounded.

Voters responded. In March 2024, Marengo approved a 1% non-home-rule municipal sales tax dedicated entirely to public infrastructure improvements. The first payment arrived in July 2024: $58,665 for one month. ² Annualized, the tax now generates roughly $800,000 per year, a funding stream that did not exist before the referendum.

The effect on the Street Department has been immediate. The department's budget nearly doubled, from $744,338 to $1.46 million, as the new revenue was directed to road resurfacing, patching, and reconstruction. ³ The FY26/27 budget continues that level of investment.

This is one of the clearer examples of local democracy working as intended. Residents saw the problem (deteriorating roads), the city put a funding mechanism on the ballot (a dedicated sales tax), voters approved it, and the money is being spent on what it was promised for. The sales tax is restricted by the ballot question to public infrastructure. It cannot be redirected to cover General Fund shortfalls, pension obligations, or other operating costs.

The road network will not recover overnight. Years of underinvestment created a backlog that a single revenue source cannot erase in one budget cycle. A PCI of 35 means many roads need full reconstruction, not just resurfacing. But the trajectory has changed. For the first time in years, the Street Department has a sustained funding source that matches the scale of the problem.

For residents who drive Marengo's streets daily, the sales tax costs roughly one extra cent per dollar on taxable purchases in the city. The return is visible on the roads being repaved this spring.