Mead Calls For Fuel Tax

With insufficient funds in the state budget to adequately maintain highways in Wyoming, Governor Matt Mead is proposing the state level a fuel tax.  Such a tax, he says could raise $71-million a year that could be applied to both state and local roads.  Mead says Wyoming pays less in fuel tax than any other state that borders it.  Long-term funding and predictable funding is needed because if we keep going the way we are with $50-million one year and $30-million the next, and then $100-million the next, it doesn’t allow for long-term planning which then ends up costing the state more. Mead says about 52% of a fuel tax would be paid for by out-of-state travelers.  Maintaining the road, Mead says is important to safety, tourism and agriculture – and to neglect maintaining them would be fiscally foolish as well.  Mead says for every dollar not spent on maintaining a road, it is estimated it will cost up to eight dollars to deal with the neglected road  in the future.  Mead is also calling for fiscal policy change that will allow the state to even out its annual budget between those years when finances are readily available and those years they are lean.  The governor’s budget will be presented to the legislature for their consideration early next year.