DOT reform hinges on yearly funding
COLUMBIA — Left hanging in the battle between the state House and Senate is
the potential to fund completion of Interstate 526 sooner rather than later.
The lawmakers, led by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell and House
Speaker Bobby Harrell, both Charleston Republicans, can't agree on how to
reform the state Department of Transportation. The bottom line is whether to
include recurring money for road maintenance and construction.
If the House wins the feud, money would be allocated to the state
Transportation Infrastructure Bank, which has promised to fund the $420
million project to continue I-526 from the Citadel Mall to the James Island
Connector. The bank needs $10 million in annual funds to borrow enough money
for that project and two others in Horry County that also have been
approved.
The Legislature will meet later this month in a special session to try to
find common ground between the House and Senate.
In the House version, the state's ailing road system would be given $40
million this year, growing to $200 million annually.
In the first year, $20 million would go to the agency for maintenance,
including bridge repair, and $20 million to the Infrastructure Bank.
The Senate plan does not include any recurring money. McConnell said
automatically funding millions for road projects is putting the state on the
hook for future liabilities without a devoted revenue stream. He also said
reform must be in place first.
"There's an agenda here to get some projects done," McConnell said of the
House's insistence on infrastructure bank funding included in DOT reform. "I
am not opposed to these projects. They've just got to be funded the right
way."
Other local projects also would benefit from annual funding for the
infrastructure bank. Dorchester and Berkeley counties have a pending
application for the funding of a number of projects, but the bank's broke.
Dorchester wants to use the bank to leverage money from its penny sales tax
increase to extend the Berlin G. Myers Parkway and work on other roads to
improve traffic flow around Summerville.
Harrell said the motivation for the House plan is not to fund any specific
projects.
"The reason we want recurring dollars is to avoid a future debate over a gas
tax increase," Harrell said.
He said he's heard talk in the Senate about a gas tax increase but thinks
it's unacceptable to raise the tax when the state has a surplus of more than
$1.5 billion.
McConnell said he's not aware of any efforts in the Senate to raise the gas
tax. At this time, he said he is opposed to an increase.
"I just think the House is looking for cover," he said. "It's rhetoric
designed to spin the issue. I am not going to throw my principles out the
window just because my area's going to benefit."
Harrell said debating the funding mechanism "is just using mirrors" because
ultimately all money comes from the same place, the state coffers.
"My frustration here is the $9 million that would finish the Mark Clark is
somehow what this is all about when the reality is we're trying to get $200
million for road and bridge construction and maintenance."
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