Monroe’s aging streets are showing signs of severe deterioration as citizens grapple with a controversial proposal to renew a 2001 one-cent sales tax five years ahead of schedule. The tax, originally designated for street maintenance, has become the center of a heated debate between city council members and Mayor Friday Ellis.
The majority of city council members oppose the tax because it creates a slush fund that makes repaving streets a low priority.
A drive through Monroe reveals the extent of the problem: streets riddled with patches, plugs, cracks, and cave-ins. Despite generating $18 million annually from…
