Tax Increase Is Aimed At Road Repairs

A state House committee will consider three bills raising Idaho fuel taxes and registration fees to pump more money into highway and bridge construction.

The bills all would increase Idaho’s 21-cent per gallon fuel tax to 25 cents, effective July 1. That would cost a motorist driving 10,000 miles per year and getting 20 miles per gallon an extra $20 per year.

The bills also increase registration fees on light trucks and automobiles from a current high of $36 to $48, effective in 1997.

Each of the bills would generate an extra $34 million per year. The difference between the measures is how the money is divided.

A full-scale hearing will be held on the measures. Rep. JoAn Wood, R-Rigby, chairwoman of the Transportation and Defense Committee, said she won’t set the date for the hearing until after it has been discussed by her party’s caucus.

“This won’t be popular legislation,” said Rep. Ralph Steele, R-Idaho Falls.

Gov. Phil Batt said he’s ready to approve whatever the Legislature sends him, because the need is urgent.

“If the Legislature submits a plan, I’ll sign it,” Batt said. “I don’t think we can continue to ignore the deficiencies in the roads in this state.

“For us to sit by and say we can’t afford a little more gas tax I think is irresponsible … We have to fix these roads.”

All the bills put the money into a special new account for highway and bridge construction. Revenue from current registration fees and fuel taxes go into an account that provides funding for the Idaho State Police, with some going to Parks and Recreation.

The proposals came after months of work by an interim committee.

Legislative Services staffer Maureen Ingram said hearings found support for increasing fuel taxes and registration fees, on condition the dollars went to highways - instead of using the extra revenue for administration and equipment purchases.

The money is to be divided between the state highway agency and local government. One of the bills proposes sending the local share of the revenue to nine regional planning agencies, which would decide how the money was to be spent.

Ingram said the major difference between the bills is how the money is spent.

“You have to decide if the Department of Law Enforcement and Parks and Recreation are going to share in the proceeds,” she said.

, DataTimes