MDOT asks senators for authority to spend roughly $485 million of existing funds as agency budget nears $2 billion

Brad White, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, told Senate Subcommittee 7 on the agency's preliminary budget that MDOT is asking for authority to spend about $485 million in previously appropriated special-fund dollars as part of a projected agency budget of roughly $2 billion.

White said the request is not for new appropriations but for the statutory authority to expend money the legislature has already provided. "This is not new money," he said, and urged the committee to restore the department's salary-and-benefits authority to roughly $202.4 million after last year's $194 million cap. White said the legislature's recent investments have been "paradigm shifting" and credited them with allowing MDOT to address multiple modes of transportation and restart a capacity program.

Why this matters: Fuel-tax increases approved in the last session are expected to raise more than $100 million in the agency's program revenue year-over-year; White said the additional cents-per-gallon will flow primarily into MDOT's maintenance program for paving, mowing and safety work. The department also used about $115 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for paving projects and said nearly all those projects are underway or ready to begin.

Details and committee questions: White told senators the additional revenue and spending authority would let MDOT continue internal salary adjustments and skill-set promotions that have stemmed workforce losses and reduced reliance on consultants over time, though he said consultant spending has grown in the short term because capacity projects created immediate preconstruction needs. "If we were able to rebuild our engineering staff back to where we were...you would see a savings," White said, while adding MDOT remains dependent on consultants during the recovery period.

On safety and road maintenance, a senator pressed MDOT about accident clusters on Highway 49 in Harrison County and whether signals would help. White cautioned that installing signals where they are not warranted can increase accident risk and said MDOT is pursuing design and access-management options and relies on law enforcement presence as part of safety solutions. He also said MDOT is clearing right of way and has removed large numbers of dead trees in some areas.

Federal match and program priorities: White said MDOT needs an estimated $40 million a year in state funds (the final year of a five-year arrangement) to draw down roughly $200+ million in federal highway money the state's delegation secured. He also described the strategic multimodal fund from House Bill 1, noting that a small portion of the extra fuel tax (about $2 million a year) would support aeronautics, rail and ports and that the older multimodal fund covers public transit.

Next steps: White offered to provide the committee a list of ARPA-funded paving projects and other details the senators requested. The subcommittee did not take a formal vote; committee members said they would work with MDOT as the appropriations process proceeds.