Proposed Gas Tax Would Bring Extra $10.3M for Roads
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Should the 18-cent gas tax increase proposed by Gov. Mike DeWine last week come to fruition, the Mahoning Valley would see an extra $10,356,845 for road work in fiscal year 2020, according to estimates from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The proposal would increase the per-gallon tax on gas to 46 cents, adding an extra $427.7 million in funding – a grand total of $1.01 billion – for road repairs in the upcoming fiscal year. By fiscal 2024, the tax would generate $1.09 billion in funding.
Revenue from the tax is divided equally among Ohio’s 88 counties, with each municipality’s funding amount calculated from the number of vehicles registered in it. Funds can only be used for construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair of roads, per the state constitution.
Under the tax proposal, Trumbull County would see the largest increase in funding with an extra $4.2 million coming in, a total of $9,904,644 in fiscal 2020. By fiscal 2024, the county would receive $10,673,993 in transportation funding. Warren would remain the largest recipient with $2,072,663 in fiscal 2020, followed by Niles with $1,136,824. Girard would receive $758,162, the city of Hubbard $512,234 and Liberty Township $239,104.
In Mahoning County, the tax would bring in $8,770,473 for roadways, an increase of $3,837,654 over the estimate for the current 28-cent-per-gallon tax. Youngstown would receive $3,253,473 with the new tax is fiscal 2020 and $3,503,565 in fiscal 2024. Meanwhile, the city of Canfield would see $560,464, Boardman $605,218, Austintown $525,443 and Canfield Township $106,124 in fiscal 2020.
Columbiana County would see an extra $2,333,185 in funding should the proposal be approved the legislature, bringing the road funding in the county to $5,593,771 in fiscal 2020. The city of Salem would see the most money, with an estimated $709,753, while East Liverpool would receive $557,655, Columbiana $417,748 and Salem Township $151,989.
A full list of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s funding estimates under the new tax, sorted by county, is available for download as an Excel file here.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
