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Local gas-tax receipts lag; committee hears EVs and fuel-efficiency as possible causes
Summary
Committee members flagged a drop in local gas-tax receipts for the Astoria Road District fund. Staff pointed to electric vehicle adoption, improved fleet fuel efficiency and pandemic-era timing as probable factors and suggested ODOT data for comparison.
A committee member asked why the local gas-tax revenue in the Astoria Road District fund appeared lower than prior years. Staff said the decline could stem from a combination of rising electric vehicle use, higher average fuel efficiency, and COVID-year timing effects in tourism and fuel purchases.
Staff recommended consulting ODOT data for a fuller comparison and warned that changing the local gas tax is a public vote with risks: raising the rate and failing at the ballot could eliminate the current local tax. The committee tentatively approved the Road District fund while asking staff to verify the revenue dynamics and present more detail in future materials.
