DYER | The town may have a way to begin fixing roads next year without going out for a referendum or petition drive, Town Manager Joe Neeb told a group of residents at a special meeting on streets and roads.

Under the property tax cap legislation recently signed by the governor, Dyer would be allowed to borrow money for what is called a controlled project, up to $2 million per project.

The $2 million would only fix about two miles of streets. The town could bond for a series of controlled projects over a period of years, however, he said.

A successful ballot referendum would borrow a minimum of $10 million, which would go a long way toward solving Dyer's street problems, he said. But Neeb said he doubts the town would be fixing more than two to three miles of street per season, because the process is so disruptive to a neighborhood and its residents.

The other option would be to create a Municipal Improvement District, either townwide or in a particular neighborhood. A successful petition drive would create the district, with a minimum of 1,700 signatures.

A ballot referendum "impacts taxpayers," Neeb explained. "A Municipal Improvement District impacts property owners," including nonprofits, such as churches and St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers.

Both options require resident participation.

A controlled project bond only requires action by the Town Council. The project bond would also have the least impact on taxpayers, Neeb said.

Neeb wants to have another meeting with residents, during which he will provide more information on each option.

Neeb said he has already crunched the numbers on a hypothetical Municipal Improvement District in Sandy Ridge.

If Sandy Ridge property owners spent roughly $2 million to redo their streets, they'd be paying about $450 a year over 20 years.

The next streets and roads meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. June 23 in the lower level meeting room at Town Hall.