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Mississippi commissioners say HB 1 would provide recurring funds to maintain roads, avoid federal penalties
Summary
Transportation Commission Chair Willie Simmons and commissioners John Caldwell and Charles Busby told a radio roundtable that House Bill 1 (HB 1) could secure recurring revenue for the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), help preserve roads and bridges and reassure federal grantors that the state can match and maintain projects.
Commissioner Willie Simmons, chair of the Transportation Commission, said House Bill 1 (HB 1) could supply recurring money the state needs to maintain highways and bridges and to secure federal funding.
"We don't see party, highways and bridges. We see highways and bridges that need money," Simmons said, describing cooperation across the commission's three districts. He told the Element Well Studio roundtable that MDOT's budget is about $1,400,000,000 and the department employs roughly 2,700 people.
The commissioners discussed HB 1's approach to raising revenue for transportation, including a proposed 5% sales tax on motor-fuel purchases that supporters estimate could produce roughly $350 million to $400 million a year before accounting for changes to existing streams. Simmons and the other commissioners said the bill would replace or alter some current funding, including an $80,000,000 share currently coming from the Mississippi Lottery Corporation.
"We truly need recurring dollars," Simmons said, adding that federal partners want to see a state…
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