PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla — Unpaved roads in Putnam County are a concern for neighbors and they want a solution as soon as possible. They came to the Ask Anthony team for help.
"It seems like that area out there, west of Putnam, has been neglected," Dan Steele said.
Dan Steele lives off of Twin Lakes Boulevard in West Putnam near Interlachen. He wants to know why money isn't being used to pave the roads.
"We're in a bad situation out there," Steele added.
Steele said, for several years, the county promised the roads would eventually be paved. He is still waiting on that promise to be fulfilled.
Steele told the Ask Anthony team they pay an extra tax to the Municipal Service Benefit Unit, also known as an MSBU, that is used for road and drainage improvements.
"I said this is 2024. No one should have to go more than a quarter or half mile to be on a blacktop road," Steele said.
After we spoke with Steele, other neighbors contacted Anthony Austin saying the unpaved roads are becoming a safety issue. One woman said an elderly friend's car recently got stuck in the dirt and had to be towed.
Neighbors said they're concerned about what would happen in case of an emergency.
"That means that fire trucks and ambulances can't get to some people," Steele responded.
Steele said many of the dirt roads don't have stops signs or other street signage and it's hard to tell where you're going.
"I have been to county commission meetings. The last one I went to I asked them how much human life was worth in Putnam County," Steele said.
Anthony Austin emailed all the Putnam County commissioners about this issue. Larry Harvey was the first to respond. He said the roads are a complicated issue in West Putnam and he is willing to discuss the problem with us.
The Ask Anthony team will keep you updated on that conversation.