The issue:

Work on an access road for two Dallas County industries is scheduled to start soon.

Our position: County officials have taken the cost burden off taxpayers and worked to obtain hard-to-get grants for this project.

Earlier this week, the Dallas County Board of Commissioners announced a $400,000 grant that will help construct an access road that will affect the flow of traffic for two local industries.

That money did not just fall off the state grant money truck.

About three weeks ago, Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard and Dallas County Engineer George E. Jones Jr. went over to the

Industrial Access Board in Montgomery and presented the need to the board members.

There was no great fanfare, no beating the chest.

They went over to Montgomery, and they got the job done.

The Industrial Board gave only $3 million statewide for access roads.

State money comes at a premium. There is not much of it to go around.

This $400,000 will be combined with $500,000 received two years ago to pay for the road work.

The county plans to widen the two-lane road to three lanes. Work will begin next month.

When it is completed, Dixie Pellets will have an access road that connects with Internationa Paper’s access road, County Road 78.

Jones and Ballard deserve accolades for seeing an opportunity, preparing for the meeting and securing grant money.

Notice that this project is paid for primarily through grant money.

The commission watches carefully how money is spent and on what projects.

The commission, Ballard and others have worked to ensure that tax dollars are spent efficiently.

County residents cannot ask much more from their elected officials.