Support Alaska's Road Commissions and Support HB155

At the present time, Road Service Commissions (RSCs) perform the vast majority of work on Alaska’s roads off the state roads. Like all units of government, they have faced rising costs. Under the present law,  every construction job requires RSCs to solicit Davis-Bacon bids for projects over $2,000 per Title 36 (section 36.05.070). This keeps the cost of road projects extremely high.  House Bill 155 raises the project size for which Davis-Bacon bids have to be acquired. By raising the minimum project size from $2,000 to $50,000, RSCs can continue to operate effectively and efficiently. This will enable many smaller projects to be undertaken that currently are not because of costs, and help taxpayers get more for their hard earned dollars.

The vast majority of projects undertaken by RSCs range between $2,000 and $90,000. RSCs are Alaska’s most local unit of government, and operate at the subdivision or neighborhood level. They perform road services cheaply, efficiently, with priorities established after considerable input from the local neighborhood. Under House Bill 155, Davis-Bacon wages will apply only to contracts that are over $50,000. This means tax payers get more for smaller projects.

RSCs need your help in supporting HB 155. There is a movement underway to keep Davis-Bacon wages on projects at the $2,000 level. For most RSCs, this greatly raises the cost of providing road services. Many the projects can not be undertaken due to the $2,000 Davis-Bacon requirement. In many instances, costs could force RSCs to fold and hand their authority over to the borough government. If that happens, borough economic planners, not local resident boards, will determine project priorities. HB 155 will help keep RSCs an viable, economic alternative to borough maintenance and preserves the input of neighborhoods over their own road maintenance priorities. It will help taxpayers get more for their hard earned dollars. It is a good piece of legislation.

Please, take a few minutes today to send a POM to the state legislature to support HB155. Please, let your legislators know that is this is a crucial to keeping our RSCs working efficiently and effectively for local residents. To do this, click here in a new window, and create a POM account, and register your opinion today. If you don‘t know what to say, you can cut and paste the information below:


 Please support HB155. Projects under $50,000 are too small for the application of the Davis-Bacon wage skill, and erode tax payer dollars. Currently, Davis-Bacon wages have to be applied to projects under $2,000. This greatly increases the cost of projects, and hurts taxpayers. Please support road service areas and support HB 155. Thank you, in advance, for your vote for HB155!　

Also you can contact your local Legislative Information Office about HB155.  Thank you for taking the time read this blog, post a response, and sharing it with your friends.