NORWICH – Prices are up on everything in the county’s highway department, and there seems to be no solution to the problem, Harry W. Conley, Chenango County Public Works Committee chairman, said last Thursday.

In addition, there are unsafe road conditions, people driving at higher rates of speed, and more traffic on roadways. In order to do his job efficiently, DPW Director Randy Gibbon said he’d have to increase the highway budget by more than $300,000.

“That’s to get the same buying power as I had last year ... What’s going to happen in 2007? I never worried about my materials budget before July before. I’ve had to cut back already,” he said. The 2006 highway budget is $2.3 million.