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Consultants urge gradual Prop 7 shift to highways, say it could yield billions annually
Summary
Presenters proposed increasing the share of the motor-vehicle sales tax (Prop 7) directed to the highway fund by 10% per year toward 100% over about a decade, estimating as much as $4.5 billion annually if fully implemented; they acknowledged budget tradeoffs.
At the Rockwall County meeting, Drew Campbell and Brandy Bird laid out an advocacy proposal to increase the portion of motor‑vehicle sales tax revenues (the second portion of Proposition 7) dedicated to the highway fund.
"We wanna grow that to a 100 over time...it'll be a 10% increase of that tax till after 10 years 100% of the sales tax collected on motor vehicles will go to the highway fund," Campbell said, adding that the motor-vehicle sales tax portion could rise to nearly $4.5 billion a year if fully redirected to highways.
Brandy Bird cautioned that directing more of Prop 7 to highways would materially affect general revenue and state budgeting decisions and that the phased approach is intended to ease appropriators' concerns. "The portion of the chart in purple is basically showing you the general revenue impacts the budget," Bird said, noting the proposal’s potential long-term yield and short-term fiscal tradeoffs.
Presenters urged local officials to engage state finance chairs and appropriators and to prepare for complex negotiations over time if the county chooses to back the concept.
