AHEAD OF BUDGET FORECAST, REP. MARK UGLEM URGES SUPPORT FOR GOP TRANSPORTATION PLAN
CHAMPLIN, MN—Ahead of this Friday's February Budget Forecast, Representative Mark Uglem, R-Champlin, is urging support for the a long-term transportation plan that would invest $7 billion in state roads and bridges over the next 10 years without an increase in the gas tax. In total, the plan would repair or replace more than 15,500 lane miles of road and 330 bridges statewide.
“It has become very clear that people in our community believe that long-term, sustainable transportation funding needs to be a top priority in 2016, and I completely agree,” Rep. Uglem said. “The budget surplus means that it is completely unnecessary to raise taxes or use a gas tax to pay for transportation infrastructure. Our plan enables us to fix and maintain our roads a bridges, without making household budgets tighter for Minnesotans.”
Over the next ten years, the Republican proposal invests:
$4.03 billion for state roads
$1.44 billion for county roads
$583 million for municipal roads
$282 million for small cities under 5,000
$139 million for Greater Minnesota bus services
$60 million for township roads & bridges
The proposal creates a special fund called the Transportation Stability Fund that collects existing proceeds from dedicated tax revenues and deposits them into accounts for each of their dedicated purpose. There are five accounts that would dedicate a combined $3.078 billion over ten years:
1. Road and Bridge Account – revenue from existing sales tax on auto parts
2. Metro Capital Improvements Account – revenue from existing sales tax on rental vehicles
3. Small Cities Account – revenue from existing rental vehicle tax
4. Greater Minnesota Bus Services Account – revenue from 50% of existing Motor Vehicle Lease sales tax
5. Suburban County Highway Account – revenue from 50% of existing Motor Vehicle Lease sales tax
In addition to the dedicated funds provided by the Transportation Stability Fund, the proposal uses $1.3 billion in Trunk Highway bonds, $1.2 billion from realigning Minnesota Department of Transportation resources, $1.05 billion in General Obligation bonds, and $228 million in General Funds.
“I look forward to discussing this bill as a member of the Transportation Committee this coming session. I’m very hopeful that we can work across the aisle, and not have funding taken from the suburbs and greater Minnesota to fund trains in Saint Paul or Minneapolis.”
Legislators are also working to pass a tax bill this upcoming session and Rep. Uglem will continue to advocate for significant tax relief in the event of a large budget surplus.
The 2016 session is set to begin on March 08, 2016.
###