American Fork is getting some idea of how much it would cost to keep its streets and highways in good shape, and it's not a pretty picture.

More than half the city's roads will have zero remaining "service life" in 2011 unless the city spends a lot more.

It would cost on the order of $117 million to make all roads last 20 more years -- a figure that is obviously way out of reach. But even a cheaper alternative would cost $22 million.

What does that mean to American Fork? The council raised property tax rates last year to raise $500,000 for road and trail improvements. Imagine the fiscal impact of raising 44 times as much money.

It's a very unpalatable prospect for city officials. And it's a safe bet that residents will regard it even more unfavorably.

This isn't to single out American Fork. It's possible that the city was just more forthright than many governments in acknowledging the situation. Cities have for decades been building roads and other infrastructure that will last quite a while but then suddenly require maintenance. Politicians have reveled in cutting ribbons and such, but it's all too easy to ignore future costs.

Time passes. Roads fray and crumble. And fiscal reality is rearing its ugly head not only in American Fork but all across Utah County.

If a city is wondering what to do about roads, that's just the start. There are other vital facilities that aren't as obvious but just as important. For instance, Orem officials say they have no choice but to plan a $12 million expansion of the city's wastewater reclamation facility. It has reached capacity.

This is an area where most people take modern services for granted, and it's one that typically gets even less thought than roads. But you can't escape reality: if you have people, you have waste.

Dealing with such issues is a genuine responsibility of government. A lot of public officials have wailed in recent years that they can't cut "essential" services, but the definition of essential is a bit fuzzy. Wait until the sewer systems overflow. This will give a new, sharper meaning to the term.

Budgets are tight this year, from Washington down to Orem, Lindon, American Fork and everywhere else. This year may be only prelude.

Related

• Lindon residents want city to make cuts instead of raising taxes
• Despite protests, Lindon hikes taxes 35 percent