The city is borrowing money to boost its annual spending on road maintenance.

 

“The residents yell for more streets to be done, we’re trying to accomplish that goal,” said City Councilor Michelle Dionne at a Sept. 22 meeting.

 

Voting 8-1, councilors approved a measure allowing the mayor’s administration to take out the $10 million loan for the purpose.

 

The loan is part of $28,201,106 set aside for road repairs in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan for the 2027-2031 fiscal years. That total includes state funding Fall River expects to receive over those years.

 

Massachusetts uses a formula based mostly on total road mileage — as well as employment and population — to send cities road maintenance funds. Fall River received about $2,651,678 this fiscal year.

 

The Capital Improvement Plan, approved in March, said extra local funds were needed because state funding has remained level while “the cost of projects is ever increasing.”