Transportation Budget Details
Thanks again to everyone that made calls and/or sent emails and letters in support of the gas tax increase. While indexing or the 18-cents as initially proposed were not approved, the funding approved (10.5-cents on gas and 19-cents on diesel) and additional related policy changes will have a tremendous impact for ODOT and local government agencies.
Preliminary estimates show revenues increasing by $865 million in both state fiscal year 2020 and 2021. The new funds will be split 55 percent to ODOT and 45 percent to locals. This is a slight shift as revenue from the existing 28-cent tax has 60 percent allocated to ODOT and 40 percent to the locals. Under HB 62 each county will receive an additional $1.5 million, or 1/88th of the funding available for counties. The municipality and township distribution is a bit more complicated with each specific city and township receiving differing amounts based upon a formula. In general, cities will have $155 million in additional funds available. For townships, $83 million in additional funds will be distributed. You can see the specific local government funding estimates here –
Also included in the overall funding increase are new fees for alternative fueled vehicles. Beginning January 1, 2020 owners of plug-in electric vehicles will pay an additional registration fee of $200. Hybrid vehicle owners will pay $100 in additional registration fees. These fees will generate $7.3 million in FY 2020 and $15.8 million in FY 2021, with the funding split 55 percent to ODOT and 45 percent to locals.
Funding for public transit also increased. The bill includes $70 million in general revenue funds each year for transit. This additional non-gas tax funding frees up approximately $33 million in federal funding ODOT was allocating for transit purposes. Instead, ODOT can use those flexible federal dollars for road and bridge projects.
Below are the roll call votes from the House and Senate on the final bill.
House of Representatives:
Yea: 70
Arndt DeVitis Lang Russo
Baldridge Edwards LaTourette Scherer
Blessing Galonski Leland Seitz
Boggs Ghanbari Lepore-Hagan Sheehy
Boyd Ginter Lipps Skindell
Brent Green Manchester Smith, K.
Brinkman Greenspan Manning, D. Sobecki
Brown Hambley Manning, G. Stein
Butler Hicks-Hudson Miller, J. Stoltzfus
Callender Hillyer O’Brien Sweeney
Carfagna Holmes, A. Oelslager Sykes
Carruthers Holmes, G. Patterson Upchurch
Cera Hoops Perales Weinstein
Crawley Howse Plummer West
Cross Ingram Richardson Wilkin
Crossman Jones Roemer Zeltwanger
Cupp Kent Rogers Speaker Householder
Denson Lanese
Nay: 27
Antani Kick Miranda Schaffer
Becker Koehler Powell Smith, R.
Clites Lightbody Reineke Smith, T.
Dean Liston Riedel Strahorn
Jordan McClain Robinson Vitale
Keller Merrin Romanchuk Wiggam
Kelly Miller, A. Ryan
Absent – Patton and Hood
Senate:
Yea: 22
Antonio Burke Coley Craig
Dolan Eklund Fedor Gavarone
Hoagland Hottinger Kunze Lehner
Maharath Manning Schuring Sykes
Terhar Thomas Williams Wilson
Yuko Senate President Obhof
Nay: 10
Brenner Hill Huffman, M. Huffman, S.
McColley O’Brien Peterson Rogener
Rulli Uecker
Absent - Hackett
If any of the legislators you contacted are listed as “yes” votes, please take a minute to thank them. You can do this with a follow-up phone call or by sending a letter. This was a tough vote for some and a quick thank you would be very much appreciated. We plan to send a thank you on behalf of OCA and additional letters from individual constituents would also be welcomed.
Thanks again to everyone that supported our efforts and please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information. Thanks. Michelle
This Week is National Work Zone Awareness Week
In recognition of National Work Zone Awareness Week, OCA issued the following statewide media release. Please click here to read more.
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