(a)The executive of any eligible county may
provide a major bridge fund in compliance with IC 6-1.1-41 to make
available funding for the following purposes:
(1)The construction of major bridges.
(2)In Allen County, the construction, maintenance, and repair of
bridges, approaches, and grade separations with respect to
structures other than major bridges.
(3)For an eligible county that is a member of a commuter
transportation district established under IC 8-5-15:
(A)making grants to a commuter transportation system (as
defined in IC 8-5-15-1) only for the benefit of the commuter
transportation system (as defined in IC 8-5-15-1);
(B)making debt service payments for revenue bonds issued
under IC 8-5-15-5.4 for a railroad project of a commuter
transportation system (as defined in IC 8-5-1
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(a) The executive of any eligible county may
provide a major bridge fund in compliance with IC 6-1.1-41 to make
available funding for the following purposes:
(1) The construction of major bridges.
(2) In Allen County, the construction, maintenance, and repair of
bridges, approaches, and grade separations with respect to
structures other than major bridges.
(3) For an eligible county that is a member of a commuter
transportation district established under IC 8-5-15:
(A) making grants to a commuter transportation system (as
defined in IC 8-5-15-1) only for the benefit of the commuter
transportation system (as defined in IC 8-5-15-1);
(B) making debt service payments for revenue bonds issued
under IC 8-5-15-5.4 for a railroad project of a commuter
transportation system (as defined in IC 8-5-15-1); and
(C) making grants to the northwest Indiana regional
development authority established by IC 36-7.5-2-1 for the
benefit of a commuter transportation system (as defined in IC 8-5-15-1), if the northwest Indiana regional development
authority has issued bonds for a railroad project of a commuter
transportation system (as defined in IC 8-5-15-1).
(b) The Indiana finance authority shall conduct pre-financing
verification of an eligible county to pay for a transportation project
involving double tracking if the project is wholly or partially funded by
money from the major bridge fund under subsection (a).
(c) The executive of any eligible county may levy a tax in
compliance with IC 6-1.1-41 not to exceed three and thirty-three
hundredths cents ($0.0333) on each one hundred dollars ($100)
assessed valuation of all taxable personal and real property within the
county to provide for the major bridge fund.
(d) The general assembly finds the following:
(1) Allen County eliminated its levy for a cumulative bridge fund
to use its levy authority to fund a juvenile center.
(2) Allen County has more bridges than any other county in
Indiana, outside of Marion County: Marion County has five
hundred twenty-two (522), Allen County has three hundred
fifty-one (351), and Hamilton County has two hundred
seventy-seven (277).
(3) Allen County has the largest land area of any county in
Indiana.
(4) Allen County is the third largest populated county in Indiana.
(5) Allen County has a heavy manufacturing and industrial base,
increasing traffic and wear and tear on streets, roads, and bridges.
(6) Allen County has large temperature fluctuations, leading to
increased maintenance costs.
(7) Allen County has three (3) major rivers that come together in
the heart of Fort Wayne, which means more bridges are needed in
the area due to the infrastructure that accommodates Fort Wayne,
the second largest city in Indiana.
(8) Allen County dissolved its cumulative bridge fund in 2002 to
provide room in the levy for judicial mandates to build two (2)
detention facilities, as the former jail was overcrowded due to the
large population.
(9) Allen County has a major bridge fund that is provided to
maintain major bridges, but can be used to fund smaller bridges
and will not harm the ability of Allen County to pay for
obligations caused by judicial mandates.
(10) Expansion of the purposes for Allen County's major bridge
fund may be used in Allen County to meet the critical needs in
Allen County for the maintenance of bridges other than major
bridges in the unincorporated areas of the county.
(e) Because of the findings set forth in subsection (d), except as
provided in subsection (f), beginning after June 30, 2009, in Allen
County the county executive is responsible for providing funds for the
following:
(1) All bridges in unincorporated areas of the county.
(2) All bridges in each municipality in the county that has entered
into an interlocal agreement under IC 36-1-7 with the county to
provide bridge funds.
(f) Subsection (e) does not apply to providing funds for bridges on
the state highway system.
As added by Acts 1979, P.L.96, SEC.1. Amended by
P.L.86-1988, SEC.22; P.L.17-1995, SEC.10; P.L.178-2002, SEC.78;
P.L.182-2009(ss), SEC.265; P.L.248-2017, SEC.3.