The Calhoun County Commission passed a motion Tuesday evening that immediately clears the county's extensive road repair backlog. In a 4-1 vote, the commission approved a measure to reclassify all existing potholes as "intentional topographical features."

The decision, which goes into effect next month, means that hundreds of potholes, some of which have been on the repair list for several years, will no longer be considered "damaged infrastructure." Instead, they will be re-designated in official county documents as "road dimples," "asphalt concavities," or, in cases of extreme depth, "vehicular reservoirs."

"This is a forward-thinking, fiscally responsible decision," said Commissioner Bill T. Abernathy, who introduced the motion. "For too long, we've been throwing money into a problem that never goes away. By reframing the issue, we are embracing our county's unique roadway texture and freeing up significant funds for more pressing matters."

The motion is expected to release upwards of $85,000 from the road maintenance budget. The commission has already proposed using the surplus to fund a study on the feasibility of a new roundabout.

The lone dissenting vote came from Commissioner Brenda C. Matthews, who expressed concern over the new classification. "You can call it a 'vehicular reservoir' all you want," she stated during the public comment period, "but that doesn't change the fact that it took out the axle on my '04 Camry last week."

The County Engineer's office will now begin the process of cataloging and renaming the features. A preliminary map is expected to be released by the end of the fiscal quarter.