Oil Price Impacts Street Maintenance
Letter to the editor

The recent run-up of oil prices has affected the cost of our street slurrying and asphalt resurfacing. Oil is the base product of asphalt and slurry. The rise in costs makes it important that our city officials begin to price the increases into the budget for oil-based products.

I would expect that all bids for street resurfacing and our ongoing slurry program have been continually going up in price over recent months. It would be reasonable to look at our street programs and increase the budgeted dollars for this critical infrastructure item.

To wait until later is only to defer and reduce our ability to maintain our streets. Some other cities have already increased their budgets considerably. I hope Mission Viejo will stay ahead of the curve.

James Edward Woodin
Mission Viejo