Has the hike in the gas tax put into place a year ago by the Iowa legislature helped put our roads in better shape, as was the purpose of the legislation? Washington County Engineer Jacob Thorius says it has. The county received an extra $500,000 that came into the secondary road fund, that is used for day to day maintenance operations and a few construction projects. The County also received approximately $200,000 in the farm to market account for repairs and construction of more heavily traveled roadways.