LAWTON – Tillman County officials have agreed to assume full responsibility for maintaining the portion of Baseline Road that the county receives state funding for, while Comanche County will continue providing upkeep for its section.
Comanche County District 3 officials appreciate Tillman County’s willingness to take over maintenance on its portion of Baseline Road moving forward, District 3 Commissioner Josh Powers said in a recent news release.
“This change will help ensure proper use of county resources and funding allocation in accordance with jurisdictional responsibilities and allow us to better maintain our current roads and plan for future road projects as more funding and resources become available to do so,” he said.
State aid for road maintenance In early 2024, District 3 staffers were reviewing the district’s certified mileage map provided by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Powers said in an April 25 email to a Southwest Ledger reporter. After the review, staffers discovered that Comanche County was not being compensated for maintaining its section of Baseline Road.
Comanche County had maintained that section of Baseline for decades, as well as a 7-mile section of 197th Street heading south, said Kenny Kinder, who works for District 3.
However, Tillman County had received state aid for maintaining all of Baseline plus half of 197th Street.
Powers said he contacted Tillman County Commissioner Levi Krasser to see if Tillman County wanted Comanche County to continue maintaining that section of Baseline, or if Tillman County wanted to take on that task.
“I explained that if Comanche County were to continue maintaining it, we would need to have the map corrected by ODOT, pass a formal board-approved resolution, and ensure that funding for that section would be directed to Comanche County,” Powers said. “After a couple of weeks, Commissioner Krasser contacted me by phone and informed me that he and the other commissioners had decided Tillman County would retain the mileage and begin maintaining the road themselves.”
The counties are reverting to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s certified mileage map, which indicates the total amount of county road miles in each county. The map, which is certified by ODOT and reported to the Oklahoma Tax Commission each year, helps ensure that the state allocates road-maintenance dollars accurately.
Powers said Comanche County will continue maintaining the sections of road for which the county is receiving state aid. Meanwhile, Tillman County will assume responsibility for its portion of those roads.
Powers said since he was elected to the commission, he has discovered several cases where county dollars were used on items outside the intended scope of the county’s responsibilities.
“My role is to serve as a steward for the people of this county,” he said. “These tax dollars belong to them, and we must ensure they’re spent solely on what they were intended for.”