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SALT LAKE CITY — “With the knowledge that we can invest one dollar in maintenance today to save $10 to $25 in reconstruction later, taking action now is the fiscally responsible thing to do.”
Citizens, business leaders and lawmakers cheered Kaysville Mayor Steve Hiatt for those words Wednesday as he spoke at a rally on the Capitol steps that called for better funding of Utah’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure.
While representing the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Hiatt cited a recent Utah Foundation survey that showed 82 percent of cities and 95 percent of counties in Utah face “critical” transportation funding requirements, and that they would need 30 percent more in funds to meet current needs.
“Now is the time to benefit all Utahns by responsibly investing in our future,” he said. “Now is the time in the remaining weeks in the 2015 legislative session. We urge our state legislators to take this important responsibility seriously.”
As part of a crowd of about 200, rally participant Ryan Cowley held a sign that read “fix the $11.3 billion pothole.” His sign referred to the financial rut that the state needs to overcome to complete infrastructure improvements. Lawmakers are trying to patch that pothole with several proposals this year. Those proposals would raise gas taxes for the first time since 1997.
Rep. Johnny Anderson, R-Taylorsville, is sponsoring a bill that would replace the flat gas tax with a varying tax rate that would be calculated based on Utah’s average yearly gas prices. The bill would also allow counties to set a local sales tax to fund their transportation systems.
Anderson said it’s important for Utahns who might oppose a raise in gas taxes to remember “the need is significant.”
“It’s an $11.3 billion shortfall. I don’t think it’s OK for us to look at that and say, ‘Well we can’t come up with it, so let’s forget about it,’” Anderson said. “Congestion will increase, pollution will increase, and the costs to maintain your own vehicles will increase if we don’t keep our roads in good condition. It’s one of those pay a little now, pay a heck of a lot more later things.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, R-Vernal, is running a bill that would raise the state’s gas tax by 10 cents and diesel fuel tax by 5 cents in order to supplement funding for the Department of Transportation by an annual $40 million for small road maintenance. It would also fund an additional $25 million per year starting in 2017 for bridge projects.
The Senate is expected to vote this week on Van Tassell’s proposal. Van Tassell said he’s hopeful the House and the Senate will find common ground regarding his bill.
“It’s just a matter of compromise in order to get things through,” Van Tassell said.
Abby Albrecht, Utah Transportation Coalition Director, said the state’s infrastructure must maintain and preserve what’s in place now, and be prepared for a population that will double in size in the next 25 years.
“We all take the transportation systems, both local and statewide, for granted,” Albrecht said. “That’s because we shouldn’t notice that it works. It should just work. If we let it deteriorate, if we let it get into a state of disrepair, we will notice.” Email: kmckellar@deseretnews.com
