Earlier this summer, the Belmont County commissioners approved and paid $1.1 million from the county’s general fund to help the county engineer pave roads.

As the commission has repeatedly stated, the engineer is in charge of all county roads, including maintenance and repair of them, and his funding source does not come from the county’s general fund.

However, the commission ardently recognizes that the roads need addressed as quickly as possible.

It is our understanding that the commission may also approve additional funding to pave more roads this summer. We understand the issues at hand and commend the commissioners for addressing the issues in a quick, orderly and efficient fashion.

While we wish there was sufficient funding to pave all roads, the commission and county engineer are to be commended for spending taxpayer dollars wisely.

Their 5-year road paving plan, introduced this spring, is well-thought out and makes good sense.

Safe roads are a necessity and it is good to see our elected officials working together for a common solution.