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Paving industry backs FY27 increase, urges long-term fix to stabilize Vermont’s road funding
Summary
Representatives of the Vermont Paving Association and Peckham Industries told the House Transportation Committee they support the FY27 paving increase but warned the state needs a durable revenue solution — such as a phased purchase-and-use transfer, indexed gas tax, or mileage fee — to avoid costly year-to-year volatility and preserve contractor capacity.
Nick Sherman, representing the Vermont Paving Association, told the House Transportation Committee on March 11 that the association supports the proposed FY27 paving budget and welcomed an increase after several years of declines. "We are supportive of the proposed FY27 paving budget," Sherman said, adding that predictability in the program is essential for planning, workforce retention and lowering long-term costs.
Will Hadlock, materials operations lead for Peckham Industries, described how a predictable multi-year program helps contractors keep crews and equipment ready. "Consistency of the program is super important to us," Hadlock said, noting that full-depth reclamation can cost "four to five times as much as just simply doing a quick mill and overlay." He said that when paving funding fluctuates, companies may lose workers to other states and find it hard to plan investments.
Sherman emphasized that sustaining state transportation revenues is necessary to meet matching requirements and draw down federal funds. He…
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