Proposals in Maryland to raise the state gas tax by ten-cents-per-gallon gained prominent allies this week despite the recent rise in gasoline prices amid concerns of continued turmoil in the Middle East. Saying locals will face chronic potholes without more state road funding, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake joined three county executives in urging legislators to back the gas tax hike.
Their endorsement to increase the current 23.5-cent gas tax is contingent upon the revenue going to local jurisdictions, and not to balance the state budget. Local government officials want the hike to be combined with the restoration of their jurisdictions’ state road repair funding and a constitutional amendment to protect them from raids on their funding to balance the general fund.
The bill – HB1001 – is sponsored by Del. Bill Frick (D-Montgomery) and co-sponsored by one-in-four state representatives, also proposes to boost all vehicle registration fees by 50 percent beginning July 1. The measure also calls for indexing the state’s gas tax to the annual percentage growth in construction costs – up to one-cent increase a year, beginning in 2013.
If approved, the measure would bring about $375 million to Maryland’s nearly broke transportation fund next year. The state is facing a $40 billion backlog of transportation projects without funding.