Department of Safety warns highway fund growth lags rising costs; outlines road‑toll and DMV revenue trends

Department of Safety leaders told the House Ways and Means committee that while Highway Fund collections have edged above short‑term projections, long‑term revenue growth is insufficient to meet rising costs for highways and safety operations.

The Highway Fund collected $263.9 million in fiscal 2024, $4.0 million above the plan of $259.9 million, Department of Safety Director of Administration Amy Newbury said. For fiscal 2025 the department projects $261.2 million in highway fund receipts, about $800,000 above the plan of $260.4 million. Newbury said highway‑fund annual growth averaged 0.51% between 2018 and FY2024, a pace she described as “modest” and not keeping up with the costs the fund supports.

The nut of the presentation was that the Highway Fund supports Department of Transportation work and several functions inside the Department of Safety, including the Division of State Police. Newbury said structural deficits emerged because revenues have not matched rising operating needs; to cover shortfalls the legislature transferred $50 million in general funds during the FY2022–23 biennium and an additional $10 million in…