FALLBROOK, Calif. (KGTV) — Most people report potholes. In one Fallbrook neighborhood, residents are filling them.
Armed with shovels, asphalt, and determination, homeowners in Permanent Road Division (PRD) 13 spent part of their weekend repairing damaged roads they say have been neglected for years.
The group says they have patched more than 50 potholes using their own money, materials, and volunteer labor.
Many of the residents have also banded together to form a coalition called Citizens for Sustainable PRDs and Roads, advocating for long-term solutions to the deteriorating road conditions.
"We never wanted to do the County's job," said Dr. Stephen Shrewsbury, President of the Citizens for Sustainable PRD and Roads "We just felt like we ran out of options."
The roads are part of what's known as a Permanent Road Division (PRD), a special road district managed by San Diego County. Unlike most County roads, maintenance is funded through assessments paid by property owners within the district rather than the County's general road budget.
County officials say those assessments no longer generate enough revenue to maintain the roads, leaving PRD 13 with an estimated $6 million in deferred road repairs.
To address the shortfall, the County has proposed a new annual special tax that would provide funding for future road maintenance and repairs. The measure is expected to go before voters within the district.
At a recent Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Jim Desmond said there needs to be greater accountability in how these road districts are managed and warned that districts unable to financially sustain themselves could eventually face dissolution.
Residents, however, argue they should not have to shoulder the cost of what they believe is decades of deferred maintenance.
"Their response is pay a huge tax that you don't necessarily need, or you're dissolved and you're on your own," Dr. Shrewsbury.
The county says the proposed funding increase is intended to stabilize the district and ensure roads can continue to be maintained into the future.
For residents spending their weekends filling potholes, they say the issue goes beyond cracked pavement.
They hope their efforts bring attention to what they believe is a long-standing problem and lead to a permanent solution for the roads they call home.
