MACo Associate Director, Barbara Zektick, testified in support of Senate Bill 154, “Transportation – Highway User Revenues – Phased Restoration”, before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on January 31, 2018.

Testifying also in support of the bill was a panel of county representatives: Laura Price, a county council member from Talbot County, Todd Turner, the Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Council, and Ramond Robinson, the Anne Arundel County Director of Transportation.

A MACo initiative, the restoration of highway user funds would help counties reinvest in maintaining local infrastructure. SB154 would phase in the full restoration of highway user funds to all 24 county jurisdictions over a four-year period of time. Since the raiding of highway user funds in 2010, it is estimated that the cumulative loss of local roadway investment has exceeded $3 billion.

From MACo Testimony:

Highway user revenues fund roads and bridges throughout our entire state, through an equitable, time-tested formula based on road mileage and vehicle registrations. This touches the roads our kids ride to school, the roads our first responders travel to keep us safe, and the roads where we all live.

SB 154 begins to bring back transportation dollars to the 83% of roads and bridges maintained by local governments in Maryland. It brings back transportation dollars to everyone’s home. This bill offers a path to restore these desperately needed funds.”

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2018 legislative session here.