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Oregonians, like most Americans, like shiny new projects. But when it comes to maintenance, the money just doesn’t seem to be there.

In Tillamook County, voters defeated a maintenance levy to repair existing infrastructure. The city of Portland in its last budget reduced the amount of money available for road maintenance. It has increased intervals and dropped some classes of roadways completely from the maintenance schedule. The Oregon section of the American Society of Civil Engineers is in the process of reviewing the city’s transportation budget and may have some comments shortly.

Portland Public Schools, which has allowed its capital facilities to fall into significant disrepair and obsolescence, is now contemplating whether to propose a new construction levy. Voters will be looking at this potential levy with a high level of scrutiny because the amount, $500 million or so, would be a significant expenditure for the impacted population.

However, when pressed for funding, Portland Public Schools has a track record of repeatedly disinvesting in its capital plant. While the importance of teachers in the classroom cannot be overstated, the failure to adequately maintain the capital investment approved by voters in the past has resulted in schools that are obsolete and in some cases inadequate.

The challenge for Portland Public Schools in this round is not only to convince the voters that their dollars will be put to the most effective use for the student population, but that the investment will be protected against disinvestment over the long term.

Like many entities, Portland Public Schools needs new facilities. And it must factor into the bond equation the costs associated with maintaining these facilities. The cost of maintenance and routine upgrades is significantly less than the cost of reconstruction.

Tillamook County will be facing this dilemma sometime in this generation’s lifetime. When roads completely fail and have to be rebuilt, the amounts requested for this levy will pale by comparison.

Portland Public Schools should codify a requirement that a certain percentage of the budget shall be set aside to adequately maintain and refurbish this significant capital investment that the taxpayers are now being asked to make.

They only need to look a few blocks away in downtown Portland, where the Portland Bureau of Transportation, because of insufficient maintenance funding, has been forced to reduce maintenance on important city infrastructure elements. The lowest long-term cost of any capital program includes an adequate maintenance and refurbishment budget.

Christian Steinbrecher is president of Ukiah Engineering Inc., a senior consultant at Capital Project Consultants and the ASCE Oregon 2011-2012 Civil Engineer of the Year. Contact him at [email protected].