Additional funding sources for the maintenance of our state and local roadways are essential. With the increase in population, traffic and heavy vehicles traveling our roadways, our roads are rapidly deteriorating and our current transportation funding system is insufficient.
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Key Points
- In 1960, a third of the state budget went for transportation. Today, it is closer to 9%.
- The voters’ approval of Prop 1, which redirects half of the oil and natural gas production tax revenue from the Rainy Day Fund to the state highway fund, is a good start, but more work is left to do.
- Counties must maintain existing roads, and there is a demand for new roads, but counties have limited authority to raise funding for road construction and maintenance and limited funding sources to draw on.
- Counties maintain nearly half of all Texas roads, but of the $2.2 billion available for roads from the gas tax, only 0.33% percent ($7.3 million) is divided among the 254 counties of Texas.
- In 2019, the Legislature appropriated $250 million in grants for transportation infrastructure projects in counties affected by oil and gas production. Identifying millions of dollars in need, over 200 hundred counties applied for funding.
- Ending diversions from the State Highway Fund (Fund 6) could improve transportation funding by as much as $1.3 billion per biennium.
Watch: Counties Keep You and the Texas Economy Moving.
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Denton Record-Chronicle, Feb. 8, 2022
Denton County officials are set to put $11.5 million toward widening two farm-to-market roads north of U.S. Highway 380: FM1385 and FM2931.
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Sulphur Springs News-Telegram, Oct. 27, 2020
The Hopkins County Commissioners Court discussed contracts for purchase of road materials and roof repairs for the courthouse, among other items of business at the Monday morning regular session of commissioners court. The court opened at 9:02 a.m. After an opening prayer, the court opened the floor to citizen comments. However, no citizens presented themselves for comment…
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Athens Daily Review, Aug. 7, 2020
The Henderson County Commissioners Court authorized County Judge Wade McKinney to sign all the documents to get the repairs rolling covered by the County Transportation Infrastructure Grant Program. The state made $250 million available this year through the Texas Department of Transportation. Henderson County was approved for $208,208. Anderson County received a grant award of $190,157.
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Hill Country Passport, July 15, 2020
The Blanco Commissioners Court was called to order at 9:02 a.m. by Judge Brett Bray on July 14. The meeting was simulcasted online via Zoom, but public comments were made in person at the courtroom. First, Terry Casparis took the floor to applaud Laura Walla and Kristen Spies on establishing safety guidelines for the primary runoff early and regular elections...
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