Montgomery County Board Approves $300,000 Highway Truck Loan, Allocates Coal Funds for Upgrades

Montgomery County Board Meeting | February 10, 2026

Article Summary: The Montgomery County Board authorized multiple expenditures from its Coal Royalty Fund, including a $300,000 internal loan to the Highway Department for a new tandem dump truck. The board also utilized the fund to finance courthouse renovations, technology upgrades, and an animal control vehicle.

Coal Fund Expenditure Key Points:

• The board approved an internal loan of up to $300,000 from Coal Fund 375 to the Highway Department to purchase a 2027 Western Star 47X Tandem Dump Truck.

• The Highway Department must repay the loan from Fund 225 by January 1, 2027.

• An additional $48,492 in Coal Fund 375 money was approved to cover a series of facility, technology, and vehicle upgrades.

• The county’s Coal Royalty Fund currently holds a balance of over $10.8 million.

The Montgomery County Board on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, leveraged its robust Coal Royalty Fund to finance a major heavy equipment purchase for the Highway Department and clear a backlog of facility and technology upgrades.

Finance and Budget Committee Chairman Andy Ritchie reported that the county had received a December royalty payment of $145,099.44, bringing the overall Coal Fund 375 balance to over $10.8 million.

The largest expenditure approved during the meeting was a $300,000 internal loan to the Highway Department. The funds will be used to purchase a 2027 Western Star 47X Tandem Dump Truck equipped with a snow plow and tailgate spreader. According to the meeting packet, the new vehicle will replace an aging 2003 International 7400 tandem truck.

During the meeting, board member Evan Young expressed hesitation about the immediate purchase, stating he would prefer to delay the acquisition until later in the fiscal year to ensure contingency funds are not needed for emergencies. However, County Engineer Cody Greenwood explained that if the new truck is ordered now, the county will not actually be invoiced for the vehicle until September or October. Greenwood also warned the board that truck prices are expected to “increase significantly next model year due to tariffs and new emissions requirements.”

The board approved the equipment purchase via a 12-2 roll call vote, with Young and Connie Beck casting the dissenting votes. Under the terms of the resolution, the Highway Department is required to repay the $300,000 loan from Fund 225 back to the Coal Fund by January 1, 2027.

In addition to the truck loan, the board unanimously approved four direct expenditures from Coal Fund 375:

• $17,900 to Cinric Painting for front porch restoration work at the Historic Courthouse.

• $14,583 to Property Evaluation & Tax Advisors for the final payment of their consulting contract with the Supervisor of Assessments office.

• $11,714 to Victory Lane in Carlinville for a used Chevy Tahoe. The vehicle, previously utilized by the Sheriff’s Office, will be transferred to Animal Control.

• $4,295 to Heart Technologies for county phone system upgrades.