Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wise County backs proposed change to state motor fuels tax to bolster county road funding
Summary
The Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution backing legislation to allocate 5% of the state motor fuels tax to counties—the "penny for county roads" proposal—which County Judge J.D. Clark said would raise Wise County's allocation from about $61,000 to roughly $1.6 million annually.
County Judge J.D. Clark urged the Wise County Commissioners on April 13 to back proposed state legislation changing how motor fuels tax revenue is distributed. Clark said the current formula, established in the 1920s and last updated in 1954, leaves counties with a small share of the tax.
"The proposed 'penny for county roads' initiative would allocate 5% of the state motor fuels tax to counties, increasing the total to $190 million statewide," Clark said, adding that under that scenario Wise County's annual share would rise from roughly $61,000 to about $1.6 million. The Court voted unanimously to approve a resolution supporting the legislation.
Clark noted the State Republican Executive Committee had passed a similar resolution of support. Commissioners framed the resolution as a request to state lawmakers rather than a binding local policy change; county officials said any change would require action at the state level before funds could be distributed differently.
