By Travis Gettys
Enquirer contributor

VILLA HILLS - Residents could be asked to vote on a property tax increase that would pay for major improvements to some of the city's roughly 35 miles of streets.

City Council will decide July 21 whether to place the tax, which would add 8.5 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value, on the November ballot.

Most of the city's streets were built when Villa Hills was founded more than 40 years ago, and city engineer Dave Whitacre told City Council's public works committee that many need substantial repairs, at a yearly cost of $700,000.

"Needless to say, we don't have enough," said City Councilman Bob Krems.

Villa Hills receives $123,000 each year in Municipal Aid, a fund collected as a gasoline tax and disbursed by the state to help cities pay for road improvements, and collects about $45,000 in vehicle-licensing fees, which is restricted to street repair.

The city also spends about $100,000 from its general fund to pay for repairs, Krems said.

City officials expect the proposed tax, which would be restricted to road improvements, to raise enough money to cover the balance on the repairs, Krems said.

The tax would also be up for voter renewal after 10 years, he said.

"Citizens have a right to say whether they want their roads repaired," Krems said.

Resident John Pohlgeers, a member of a regional citizens traffic safety group, said he's noticed problems on his street, which is only about 20 years old.

"The roads have already begun to deteriorate," Pohlgeers said.

Villa Hills spent more than $70,000 last year sealing cracks in the city's mostly concrete streets, Krems said, but some older streets must be replaced before they become unsafe.

"Nobody wants to pay more taxes - I don't either," Krems said. "The city owns all the roads and we, as citizens, must pay for those roads."