Local Officials Discuss Funding For Road Improvements
April 28, 2017 at 6:19 p.m.
By David [email protected]
House Bill 1002 provides long-term funding to maintain state and local roads. The bill includes an additional 10-cent gas tax and creates new fees.
Local officials are excited about how that could help them improve roads in the county, but aren’t 100 percent certain about how the funding will work or how much the county or city of Warsaw will receive.
“Hopefully in a very positive way,” said Ron Truex, middle district county commissioner, said about the effect the bill while attending at the annual Kosciusko County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner.
He said he was very concerned. “I honestly don’t know how it’s going to impact us because the details of that are so far down the road, we don’t know what we’re going to get.”
Truex said hopefully the county will get its share of the tax dollars because the county “sure could use it.”
Northern District County Commissioner Brad Jackson said, “My understanding of it is that they’re going to do it more on a grant-type basis. It’s not like we’re going to, every month or so, get our distribution like regular road funding coming in. That’s my understanding. You have to go to the state and say, ‘we want to build this special project.’ It’s not just, in my understanding, for day-to-day. I think they’re still pealing off the layers and figuring it out how it’s going to get distributed.”
Jackson said he hoped the state would just give the county without strings attached.
“We got our wheel tax passed, and then they came up with that $800,000 we weren’t expecting. So we just don’t know. You plan and you hope you get some. Anything we can get to fix roads we can use. That’s really the bottom line,” Truex said. “Even with the wheel tax, it’ll take 15 years to get caught up on a 30-year program.”
“When you do 1,200 miles of road, by the time you get done, you’re already in the hole again starting over because of the number of years that’s gone by the time you get back to the beginning,” Jackson said.
“We need all we can get because the wheel tax is a crutch. It isn’t a solution. But anything we can get back, we certainly (can use it). But I don’t know how it peals back and how we get it,” Truex said.
Jackson said the wheel tax money wasn’t just about getting that money, but also put the county into a hat for other state money.
“We think that we should keep that money here and we’ll send the state what we don’t need instead of the state sending us what they think we need,” Truex stated.
“And then telling us where to spend it,” Jackson said. “Usually when the money goes away and comes back, it’s not (good).”
Truex said, “They peel a couple of layers off before they send back our share.”
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said, “Certainly, the locals, (Accelerate Indiana Municipal) is happy. All locals are pretty happy about the outcome. The amount of money coming back to the communities is closer to the original House version, which was getting closer to that $1.2 billion that the (Purdue Local Technical Assistance Program) study had indicated that we were going to need to at least catch up.”
LTAP identified a need of $775 million a year in new funding for local cities, towns and counties to bring all roads and bridges up to a much better condition.
Thallemer said, “Certainly, we’re happy about (the funding bill). We don’t know numbers. I’ve heard that it may double what we get, but I’m going to hold judgment on that, we’ll wait and see what it actually turns out to be. Obviously, it’s going to improve what we’re going to be able to do in the community on the roads.”
He said he was thankful for all the hard work the Indiana Senate and House put into the bill.
“A lot of decisions and a lot of planning and budgetary considerations. The money has got to come from somewhere, and there’s so many necessary uses for our tax money in Indiana, but I think that the legislature really stepped up and understood the importance of the road funding. I give them the kudos for working through that because it was pretty apparent that that was on their list this year as pretty much a top priority,” Thallemer said.
District 22 State Rep. Curt Nisly said a good, balanced budget was passed this year. “I was glad I could support it. There was a lot of good things in there, specifically as it deals with say Cardinal Services and the direct providers. That was a very important piece of the budget for me that was stated throughout the whole process. And a lot of other good things – the pay raise for the state police was important,” he said.
As for road funding, Nisly said, “I’m glad that it has been made a priority in the budget. Even though I didn’t support the actual bill, I couldn’t support the tax increases. I’m not sure that I trust the state with the extra money, that it will remain dedicated to road funding. I hope it does, and I hope that this will stay a priority in the years to come and not get pushed back to the back burner as it has in the past.”
He said part of the road funding will come through the Community Crossing matching grant program, with counties with populations of less than 50,000 eligible for a different matching grant than larger counties. Kosciusko’s population is over 75,000.
“Indiana lawmakers passed an infrastructure plan of historic proportions, putting our state in a strong position to finish what we started, maintain what we have and build for future growth. We did this all while maintaining a balanced budget and responsible reserves that will continue to diversify and grow our economy,” Governor Eric J. Holcomb is quoted as saying in a news release Thursday. “This achievement is marked by the spirit of collaboration that made this session a tremendous success for Hoosiers.”
“Today marks a monumental achievement for our state. Not only have we enacted another honestly balanced budget funding our key priorities, we have enacted an historic road funding plan for the next generation, cementing Indiana’s reputation as the Crossroads of America,” Speaker of the House Brian Bosma said. “Our long-term road funding plan is comprehensive and sustainable, does not saddle our children with debt, and answers the call to direct all fees paid at the pump to roads. Unlike other states and Washington, D.C., we worked from a strong fiscal foundation to build consensus, support pro-growth policies and keep Indiana moving in the right direction.”
The state budget funds several priorities outlined in Holcomb’s Next Level legislative agenda in January, including incentives to increase the amount of venture capital in the state, regional economic development, pre-K expansion, double tracking the South Shore Line in northwest Indiana, pay increases for law enforcement officers and more.
HEA 1002 provides long-term funding to maintain state and local roads while finishing projects started and delivering the tools to invest in Indiana’s future.
“These bills work together to position Indiana for continued growth and prosperity,” Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long said. “Responsible fiscal management has been the foundation of our pro-growth economic environment for over a decade and this budget bill continues to advance those principles. When you combine that with a sustainable plan to fund our transportation infrastructure needs for the next 20 years, I think Indiana is continuing to send a message that we are a great place to live and do business.”
House Bill 1002 provides long-term funding to maintain state and local roads. The bill includes an additional 10-cent gas tax and creates new fees.
Local officials are excited about how that could help them improve roads in the county, but aren’t 100 percent certain about how the funding will work or how much the county or city of Warsaw will receive.
“Hopefully in a very positive way,” said Ron Truex, middle district county commissioner, said about the effect the bill while attending at the annual Kosciusko County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner.
He said he was very concerned. “I honestly don’t know how it’s going to impact us because the details of that are so far down the road, we don’t know what we’re going to get.”
Truex said hopefully the county will get its share of the tax dollars because the county “sure could use it.”
Northern District County Commissioner Brad Jackson said, “My understanding of it is that they’re going to do it more on a grant-type basis. It’s not like we’re going to, every month or so, get our distribution like regular road funding coming in. That’s my understanding. You have to go to the state and say, ‘we want to build this special project.’ It’s not just, in my understanding, for day-to-day. I think they’re still pealing off the layers and figuring it out how it’s going to get distributed.”
Jackson said he hoped the state would just give the county without strings attached.
“We got our wheel tax passed, and then they came up with that $800,000 we weren’t expecting. So we just don’t know. You plan and you hope you get some. Anything we can get to fix roads we can use. That’s really the bottom line,” Truex said. “Even with the wheel tax, it’ll take 15 years to get caught up on a 30-year program.”
“When you do 1,200 miles of road, by the time you get done, you’re already in the hole again starting over because of the number of years that’s gone by the time you get back to the beginning,” Jackson said.
“We need all we can get because the wheel tax is a crutch. It isn’t a solution. But anything we can get back, we certainly (can use it). But I don’t know how it peals back and how we get it,” Truex said.
Jackson said the wheel tax money wasn’t just about getting that money, but also put the county into a hat for other state money.
“We think that we should keep that money here and we’ll send the state what we don’t need instead of the state sending us what they think we need,” Truex stated.
“And then telling us where to spend it,” Jackson said. “Usually when the money goes away and comes back, it’s not (good).”
Truex said, “They peel a couple of layers off before they send back our share.”
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said, “Certainly, the locals, (Accelerate Indiana Municipal) is happy. All locals are pretty happy about the outcome. The amount of money coming back to the communities is closer to the original House version, which was getting closer to that $1.2 billion that the (Purdue Local Technical Assistance Program) study had indicated that we were going to need to at least catch up.”
LTAP identified a need of $775 million a year in new funding for local cities, towns and counties to bring all roads and bridges up to a much better condition.
Thallemer said, “Certainly, we’re happy about (the funding bill). We don’t know numbers. I’ve heard that it may double what we get, but I’m going to hold judgment on that, we’ll wait and see what it actually turns out to be. Obviously, it’s going to improve what we’re going to be able to do in the community on the roads.”
He said he was thankful for all the hard work the Indiana Senate and House put into the bill.
“A lot of decisions and a lot of planning and budgetary considerations. The money has got to come from somewhere, and there’s so many necessary uses for our tax money in Indiana, but I think that the legislature really stepped up and understood the importance of the road funding. I give them the kudos for working through that because it was pretty apparent that that was on their list this year as pretty much a top priority,” Thallemer said.
District 22 State Rep. Curt Nisly said a good, balanced budget was passed this year. “I was glad I could support it. There was a lot of good things in there, specifically as it deals with say Cardinal Services and the direct providers. That was a very important piece of the budget for me that was stated throughout the whole process. And a lot of other good things – the pay raise for the state police was important,” he said.
As for road funding, Nisly said, “I’m glad that it has been made a priority in the budget. Even though I didn’t support the actual bill, I couldn’t support the tax increases. I’m not sure that I trust the state with the extra money, that it will remain dedicated to road funding. I hope it does, and I hope that this will stay a priority in the years to come and not get pushed back to the back burner as it has in the past.”
He said part of the road funding will come through the Community Crossing matching grant program, with counties with populations of less than 50,000 eligible for a different matching grant than larger counties. Kosciusko’s population is over 75,000.
“Indiana lawmakers passed an infrastructure plan of historic proportions, putting our state in a strong position to finish what we started, maintain what we have and build for future growth. We did this all while maintaining a balanced budget and responsible reserves that will continue to diversify and grow our economy,” Governor Eric J. Holcomb is quoted as saying in a news release Thursday. “This achievement is marked by the spirit of collaboration that made this session a tremendous success for Hoosiers.”
“Today marks a monumental achievement for our state. Not only have we enacted another honestly balanced budget funding our key priorities, we have enacted an historic road funding plan for the next generation, cementing Indiana’s reputation as the Crossroads of America,” Speaker of the House Brian Bosma said. “Our long-term road funding plan is comprehensive and sustainable, does not saddle our children with debt, and answers the call to direct all fees paid at the pump to roads. Unlike other states and Washington, D.C., we worked from a strong fiscal foundation to build consensus, support pro-growth policies and keep Indiana moving in the right direction.”
The state budget funds several priorities outlined in Holcomb’s Next Level legislative agenda in January, including incentives to increase the amount of venture capital in the state, regional economic development, pre-K expansion, double tracking the South Shore Line in northwest Indiana, pay increases for law enforcement officers and more.
HEA 1002 provides long-term funding to maintain state and local roads while finishing projects started and delivering the tools to invest in Indiana’s future.
“These bills work together to position Indiana for continued growth and prosperity,” Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long said. “Responsible fiscal management has been the foundation of our pro-growth economic environment for over a decade and this budget bill continues to advance those principles. When you combine that with a sustainable plan to fund our transportation infrastructure needs for the next 20 years, I think Indiana is continuing to send a message that we are a great place to live and do business.”
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