MACo Executive Director Michael Sanderson, testified before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on March 10, 2015, in support of SB 591, Transportation- Highway User Revenues- Phased Restoration. Restoring local transportation funding is priority MACo initiative for 2015. SB 591would restore local government’s Highway User Revenues back to the historic 30% share over an eight-year time frame beginning in Fiscal 2017.

The written testimony explains:

 For decades, local roadways were funded as one of the modes of transportation receiving 30% of Highway User Revenues (motor fuel tax and vehicle registration fees). The local share was slashed during the recession-driven budgets, and the former $555 million has been drastically cut back to $167 million – with a mere $26 million to be shared among 23 county governments (that figure used to be $282 million). The cumulative loss of local roadway investment since Fiscal 2010 is approximately $2.1 billion. Simply put, no other component of the State budget has suffered reductions of this magnitude.

The cross file of this bill, HB 484, was heard last week, March 6, 2015, in the House Environment and Transportation Committee.

For more on MACo’s 2015 legislation, visit the Legislative Database.