ARCADIA, Fla. — Potholes are an unfortunate reality in many areas of Arcadia, but city officials explain there’s a rationale behind it.
“Arcadia is one of the poorest cities in the State of Florida,” City Administrator Terry Stewart explained. “Our median income here is extremely low, and there’s limited revenue available for us to tackle these projects.”
Stewart assured that efforts are underway to address the issue. “In the southern areas, significant work has been completed on repaving roads after rebuilding utilities,” he said.
While some residents have grown accustomed to navigating around the potholes, others have taken a creative approach to draw attention to the problem. Creepy dolls were placed inside one pothole in Downtown Arcadia, garnering some notice.
“It may not alleviate the wear and tear, but living here, you become familiar with which streets to avoid,” noted Arcadia resident and real estate broker Mac Martin.
Martin empathized with the city’s financial constraints. “The primary challenge, as with other public services, is funding,” he emphasized. “While taxable property values are increasing, we still rely on state and potentially federal assistance.”
Stewart echoed the sentiment, highlighting the need to address underlying utility issues before repaving roads for long-term effectiveness. He underscored the progress Arcadia has made in road repair over the past decade, noting that the city lacked a formal pothole repair program when he first assumed office eight and a half years ago.
