SAGUACHE — A Moffat businessman has announced his intent to file suit against Saguache County Commissioners for failing to make contracts for road and construction work available for bid to county contractors.

Kenneth Skoglund, owner of Skoglund Excavation in Moffat said Monday that a suit will be filed against the County sometime this month. Skoglund stated that repeated unsuccessful attempts to contact County Attorney Ben Gibbons over the past several months led to his determination to file the suit.

“I wrote Ben Gibbons over 13 months ago and he told my attorney he would address my complaints in a letter,” Skoglund said, but Gibbons never replied. Skoglund alleges that, “Saguache County Road Department compete(s) against private contractors for road work, snow removal, gravel sales and the like. This cronyism and corruption has been going on for many years.”

“I believe they mostly do an exceptional job on our roads,” he pointed out. However, Skoglund added, it is it the job of the Saguache County Road Department to maintain county roads rather than pretend to be a construction company competing against small business.

Commissioner Mike Spearman commented that Skoglund has “an axe to grind” and says the County is not obligated to place their roadwork out for bid where intergovernmental contracts are involved.

Skoglund said that he and other private contractors submitted bids to re-gravel some roads in the Town of Crestone after the installation of their water system, but in the end the county performed the work. While the County encourages its residents to buy local and spend their money to help their neighbors, he said, “It all appears to be lip service.”

The county has stymied his business as well as others, Skoglund believes, affecting everyone in Saguache County. He explained that county practice prevents the free market system from working, while staying out of the private sector’s business would allow private contractors to compete against each other fairly. He also alleges that the county is doing private jobs on the side for county officials and employees, also their families, taking time and money away from jobs for other county residents.

“The Saguache County Com-missioners should be held accountable for their actions, “ Skoglund said. “I hear they have me labeled as a troublemaker,” but adds that as a small business owner he pays taxes and votes, so should have a voice.

This year Saguache and many other counties received extra money from the Secure Rural Schools/PILT fund, some of which was used to repave roads throughout the county. The money must be shared with county schools on a percentage basis.

Commissioner Spearman ex-plained that while the county has done roadwork in Moffat and Center in conjunction with the local governments there, this is perfectly acceptable. “The county just doesn’t do things with private companies,” Spearman said.

He also added that if it is true the County is doing special jobs for officials and employees, “It is wrong.”