From a lengthy article in the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette:
Local road funding is shaping up to be a key battleground in the next legislative session.
City, county and town officials are struggling with receipts from the state gas tax that are less than what they received in 2000, while the cost of maintaining roads and bridges has only gone up.
State legislators and administrators have shied away from the problem in recent years while pointing to tight state budgets and cuts to major programs.
But now that Indiana has built up a budget surplus – and is preparing to send tax dollars back to Hoosiers – the discussion is likely to change.
“The inadequate funding has been a problem for a long time, and it’s time to have a difficult conversation,” said Matt Greller, executive director of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. “Studies show that Indiana’s infrastructure, particularly local roads and streets, are woefully underfunded.”
Kosciusko County, for instance, is receiving $1 million less than it got 12 years ago. When the increased cost of building and repairing roads and bridges is added in, the loss is more like $1.4 million.
Each side has its own views on the issue, but the only fact everyone seems to agree on is the current system won’t work for the future.
“The state is eventually going to have to change the way they tax the use of vehicles,” said Rep. Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale. “The gasoline tax is wearing out.”
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See the full article here:
