Highway Commission Asks Voters to Support Tax Increase
By: Kyle Leyenberger
Updated: October 9, 2012
State legislators visited Rogers Tuesday to encourage people to vote for a temporary sales tax aimed at improving highways across the state.
Dick Trammel of the Arkansas Highway Commission says Fayetteville's new six lane stretch of interstate 540 is almost a tease.
"The six lanes give you a taste of what we can have," he says. "I'm getting all kinds of compliments, saying 'Dick, when can we have the other six lanes?'"
Trammel says that is up to voters. Issue one on November's ballot, if approved, would help the state widen the road all the way to Bentonville. The project would also pay to complete two lanes of the Bella Vista bypass and the beginning of the Springdale bypass.
"If we pass this it will put us fifteen years ahead," Trammel says. "If it fails it will put us fifteen years behind."
The proposed Constitutional Amendment would use a temporary half-cent sales tax to pay for a $1.3 billion bond issue.
"It goes specifically to four lane projects all the way across the state of Arkansas," says Madison Murphy, Chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission. "Statewide this is really a critical issue, because it really addresses some major regional needs that we really just don't have the funding for."
Murphy says the state simply can't afford the projects using the current motor fuel tax.
"Arkansas, interestingly has the 12th largest highway system in the United States, and we're 43rd in our ability to fund that system," Murphy says.
Lieutenant Governor Mark Darr says it would drastically decrease the amount of time it would take to pay for big projects across the state.
"We can either have two to five year projects or we can have fifteen to thirty year projects," he says. "I think for economic development reasons alone, or for traffic reasons alone, I think it's something that people need to know the facts about."
Darr says he knows times are tough, but wants people to think about the long term benefits.
"It's time for Arkansas to invest in itself," he says. "No one hates taxes more than I do, but the fact of the matter is if it's a concern now, it's going to be even more of a concern later... We can have more economic development in Arkansas now, or we can lose even more jobs to neighboring states because our roads aren't adequate."
Driver Bill Wagner says he isn't sure if he will support the effort.
"Money's tight, so I don't know," Wagner says. "The community is growing though, and if the economy can ever will ever pick back up they're going to need the roads."
You can find out more about the ballot issue at this website.
Dick Trammel of the Arkansas Highway Commission says Fayetteville's new six lane stretch of interstate 540 is almost a tease.
"The six lanes give you a taste of what we can have," he says. "I'm getting all kinds of compliments, saying 'Dick, when can we have the other six lanes?'"
Trammel says that is up to voters. Issue one on November's ballot, if approved, would help the state widen the road all the way to Bentonville. The project would also pay to complete two lanes of the Bella Vista bypass and the beginning of the Springdale bypass.
"If we pass this it will put us fifteen years ahead," Trammel says. "If it fails it will put us fifteen years behind."
The proposed Constitutional Amendment would use a temporary half-cent sales tax to pay for a $1.3 billion bond issue.
"It goes specifically to four lane projects all the way across the state of Arkansas," says Madison Murphy, Chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission. "Statewide this is really a critical issue, because it really addresses some major regional needs that we really just don't have the funding for."
Murphy says the state simply can't afford the projects using the current motor fuel tax.
"Arkansas, interestingly has the 12th largest highway system in the United States, and we're 43rd in our ability to fund that system," Murphy says.
Lieutenant Governor Mark Darr says it would drastically decrease the amount of time it would take to pay for big projects across the state.
"We can either have two to five year projects or we can have fifteen to thirty year projects," he says. "I think for economic development reasons alone, or for traffic reasons alone, I think it's something that people need to know the facts about."
Darr says he knows times are tough, but wants people to think about the long term benefits.
"It's time for Arkansas to invest in itself," he says. "No one hates taxes more than I do, but the fact of the matter is if it's a concern now, it's going to be even more of a concern later... We can have more economic development in Arkansas now, or we can lose even more jobs to neighboring states because our roads aren't adequate."
Driver Bill Wagner says he isn't sure if he will support the effort.
"Money's tight, so I don't know," Wagner says. "The community is growing though, and if the economy can ever will ever pick back up they're going to need the roads."
You can find out more about the ballot issue at this website.
