LANSING – Transportation groups are gearing up for an effort in January to convince the Michigan Legislature to pass an increase in the gasoline tax to shore up road funding, whose decline has forced the state to shelve construction projects and put at risk federal money.

John Niemela, director of the County Road Association of Michigan, said Friday on Michigan public television’s “Off the Record” that he hopes to see at least one house of the Legislature pass a gasoline tax increase before the end of February. If nothing happens before then, the issue would likely have to wait until the lame-duck session in November and December because the election season will make passage of a tax increase even more difficult, Niemela said.

Road groups are seeking a 9 cents-per-gallon increase in the gasoline tax over three years with the tax rising 3 cents per year. Rep. Pam Byrnes (D-Chelsea), chair of the House Transportation Committee, said Friday she and Rep. Dick Ball (R-Laingsburg) are working on legislation that she wants to introduce in January raising the tax over a period of years, although she would not say by how much.

“We’re going to be putting a greater push on and emphasis at the beginning of the year,” Mr. Niemela said.

Byrnes said she concurs with trying to pass a bill before February ends although she cited the emphasis the budget will take starting in March as the reason.

“I really want to get that out there. I really want to get the conversation going,” she said. “I expect to be ready in January.”

Byrnes said she and Ball are still working through some issues on the bill although she declined to disclose them other than to say the amount of the tax increase is not at issue.

“I realize that the political climate is very negative toward any type of a tax increase,” she said. “I would rather present this as an investment in economic development. We’re not going to be able to attract people to our state when are roads are crumbling and our bridges are being closed down.”

Niemela rated the chance of success at 50/50. He said groups are hoping to see the Democratic-led House pass an increase first. The greater challenge comes in the Republican-run Senate where resistance to tax increases runs much deeper.

The Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday approved a 4 cents-per-gallon increase in the diesel fuel tax paid by truckers with the extra revenue earmarked for bridges (SB 862 , SB 863 ). But Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) has indicated concerns about the legislation and Sen. Jud Gilbert (R-Algonac), the Transportation chair and bill sponsor, said he needs to round up more support for the plan to have a shot in the Senate.

Given the resistance to hiking the diesel tax, which is paid by comparatively fewer motorists, the gasoline tax hike will be a much tougher sell. Asked about Senate Republican reluctance to raise the gasoline tax, Niemela said, “I think they need to have a little more education on what those tax dollars come from, (what) fuel taxes are really and the value that they have.”

There has been some chatter about folding county road commissions into county government instead of keeping them as separate entities in exchange for a tax increase, but Niemela said doing so would save no money and mean nothing for road quality.

“It allows for us to focus specifically on roads and transportation issues as opposed to putting us up against recreation, health care issues, prisons, all the rest of the activities,” he said of combining road commissions with county governments. “In order to have a system like we have, you have to have people focusing on the transportation part of it.”

Wayne County abolished its road commission years ago and put roads directly under the authority of the county executive. Macomb County is making a similar move as part of its move toward a charter form of government.

“That’s one example out of 83, and we have 82 others that have been operating quite well,” he said of Wayne County among the 83 counties.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

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