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Road Repairs Stalled by Budget Stalemate

Rich Egger
Potholes on a street in Macomb

The portion of the gas tax collected in Illinois when you fuel your car is supposed to be forwarded to municipalities. They use it to fill potholes, or to buy salt for when it snows.

Instead, that money is trapped in the budget stalemate.

Macomb Mayor Michael Inman said this month's skipped payment is preventing cities from repairing roads.

"Mayors find themselves in a holding pattern as we wait for the state to take action,” Inman said.

“Winter is fast approaching, and time is not on our side.”

The Illinois House advanced a measure that would give municipalities three months' worth of the money they'd typically be due.

Democratic lawmakers supported it, while Republicans called it shoddy budgeting.