Montgomery’s top elected official called for an increase in the state’s gas tax Monday, saying the funds would be needed to pay for a litany of new transportation projects he wants to see completed.
Transportation was a dominant theme in County Executive Ike Leggett’s first annual State of the County speech.
Leggett told residents and county leaders that expanded transportation infrastructure is “critically important to preserving our quality of life and in attracting and retaining businesses in the county.”
He said he wanted more transit options including the Purple Line, the Corridor Cities Transitway, expanded Ride-On service, road widenings and intersection improvements.
“To accomplish these first two parts, we must have adequate and sustainable sources of revenue,” Leggett said. “The state Legislature’s increase in the Transportation Trust Fund to $440 million is all well and good, but this simply maintains existing facilities and does not add any new projects.”
The county is bracing for a projected $401 million budget gap in fiscal year 2009, and last week a Montgomery Council panel recommended creating a local gas tax or vehicle registration fee to fund infrastructure needs.
“That’s going to be our challenge in the next 6 to 9 months: establishing things that are priorities that are commensurate with the amount of money that we’re actually going to have to spend,” County Council Vice President Mike Knapp said.
Knapp said he believes either a state gas tax increase or a local gas tax will be necessary to fund new projects butthat he did not think the Council would back a local gas tax if the state increased its gas tax.
“If the state is going to generate enough money to actually pay for the major transportation projects great, then I think we let the state do that,” Knapp said. “If they’re not going to do that, then we may have to impose a smaller gas tax locally, but I don’t think you do them both.”
Bill Witham, chairman of the County’s Republican Party, said raising the state gas tax would “fly like a lead balloon.”
“Between mortgage issues, tax increases just passed by the state legislature, the high cost of gasoline and the high cost a state gas tax increase would put on businesses in Montgomery County, it would be a huge burden on the taxpayers to increase the gas tax in any way,” Witham said.
