By Cliff Hightower

Staff Writer

An error in tabulating votes led to the wrong funding priorities for area roads in a meeting last month, said Kim Harpe, Southeast Tennessee Rural Planning Organization coordinator.

"It was my mistake," Ms. Harpe said. "I should have double-checked."

Ms. Harpe said the executive board of the Southeast Tennessee RPO will meet Jan. 17 in Pikeville, Tenn., to vote on the correct funding list.

During the board's Dec. 5 meeting, members voted to put widening state Route 30 from Etowah, Tenn., to Athens, Tenn., as the top priority, records show. The RPO includes Bledsoe, Grundy, Marion, McMinn, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie counties.

But Ms. Harpe said the vote totals were misread. The lowest score was supposed to represent the largest vote-getter, while the highest score received the fewest votes, Ms Harpe said.

When interpreted correctly, she said, the board's No. 1. priority was funding an environmental study for U.S. Highway 64, or Corridor K.

"What we're trying to build is a regional consensus," Ms. Harpe said. "I think it shows Corridor K remains a priority."

Ms. Harpe said the ranking should have no impact on the projects. While the RPO lists priorities, the Tennessee Department of Transportation will choose what projects are funded.

"TDOT still has the last say," Ms. Harpe said.

TDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Osborne said Thursday money has been allotted for a Corridor K environmental study, so being ranked first has little impact.

"It didn't matter whether the Corridor K item came out fourth or first," Ms. Osborne said.

One local official said he was disappointed in the error.

Dayton, Tenn., Mayor Bob Vincent said he found the situation "hard to swallow." Improving state Route 30 between Dayton and the Tennessee River had been second on the funding list. It will now drop to third, RPO records show.

"Each day we're losing more faith that the RPO system is working," he said. "I don't know what to make of it."

He said he feared a lower ranking might mean the state Route 30 project could be delayed further while other projects are moved ahead.

McMinn County Mayor John Gentry said he thinks the executive board should honor the corrected vote totals, even if that means a McMinn County project goes from No. 1 to last.

"If that's the correct numbers, we have to honor those votes," Mr. Gentry said. "I would have more of a problem if we did not honor what the majority of the board voted on as top priorities."

E-mail Cliff Hightower at chightower@timesfreepress.com

ROAD PRIORITIES

Top projects for funding in Southeast Tennessee:

1. Environmental impact study for U.S. Highway 64

2. Widen state Route 30 from Decatur, Tenn., to the Tennessee River

3. Improve state Route 30 from the Tennessee River to Dayton, Tenn.

4. Widen state Route 30 from Etowah, Tenn., to Athens, Tenn.

Source: Southeast Tennessee RPO

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