UT report lays out options for boosting road funding
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A new University of Tennessee study is laying out some options for the state to boost its funding for road projects, ranging from charging drivers by the mile to tapping the state’s general fund for new money.
Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has been traveling the state to make the case for why Tennessee needs to address the way it pays for its road needs. But any talk of a gas tax hike is being met with a largely chilly reception among state lawmakers – most of whom are facing re-election next year.
The report by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee notes that Tennessee’s 21.4-cent tax on each gallon of gasoline is the 12th lowest nationwide and fifth lowest among southeastern states.
