City Council Mulls Municipal Asphalt Plant
Proponents argue that a city-run paving operation could cut costs by 10 percent, potentially paying for its own installation in just two jobs.
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Commissioner McGregor this morning received a report from Indianapolis showing the results of the operation of a municipal asphalt plant in that city. The plant there cost about $20,000 and in its operation it has reduced the cost of street paving at least 10 percent. Asphalt paving is now being put in at Indianapolis with the city plant at 54 cents a square yard. Tacoma is paying about 80 cents on the two big jobs let yesterday and it has paid as high as $1.25 for this work. The city council recently was considering the installation of a municipal asphalt plant, but nothing was done in the matter. If 10 percent could be saved on street paving with a municipal plant, then the two jobs let yesterday would have paid for the whole plant in the saving and the city would have had the plant free.
“If 10 percent could be saved on street paving with a municipal plant, then the two jobs let yesterday would have paid for the whole plant in the saving and the city would have had the plant free.”
Municipal control over infrastructure remains a central debate in Tacoma, echoing historical efforts to move away from private contracting to save taxpayer dollars. While the technology has changed from asphalt plants to modern fiber and utility grids, the tension between public ownership and private vendor reliance is a perennial feature of city hall politics.
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