Mineral and Sanders counties to benefit from gas tax revenue

The Montana Legislature wrapped up its session on Friday. There will be interim committees to study options for the next session in 20 months.

Study bills were proposed during the last few weeks of session dealing with suicide prevention, marijuana use, medical costs, prescription drug costs and tax issues. The complete list of studies will be sent to legislators and prioritized as to which studies will actually be done. This shows the work is not completely finished for us.

The infrastructure bill that has been talked about by the news media was voted down last Friday. This bill was changed from its original form several times. The addition of combining several projects was the demise of the bill. There were projects for schools and local sewers and water that may have gotten passed if additional projects like a math building on the MSU campus and the veterans home in Butte had not been put on the same bill. These added on projects may have been good projects, especially as stand alone, but knowing the makeup of the representatives, getting a two-thirds majority vote prove to be impossible.

During the session, there were good stand-alone infrastructure projects passed in long range building, renewable resource grants, and the Treasure State endowment program.

One bill that brings money home is House Bill 473, which is the Bridge and Road Safety and Accountability Act. This bill requires an accountability audit of the Department of Transportation, a website to show projects and costs, and allows for funds to be spent on roads and bridges for the state, cities, and counties. The final version of the bill is 4 ½ cents on the gas tax and 1 ½ cents on the diesel tax. Of these funds, within a year from now, Mineral County will receive an increase of $81,500 and Sanders County an approximate increase of $125,000 to their road funds.

With the declining or threat of loss of Secure Rural Schools funds, this will help bail the counties out. This first year increase will go up even more in the subsequent years. Also receiving funds from this act will be the incorporated towns in our counties.

Superior will receive an increase of $20,000 the first year and about $4,000 added to that each following year. Alberton will receive $8,600 increase the first year and a $3,000 increase in subsequent years.

With the street problems, Plains has had and a shortfall to even patch roads after water line leaks, the added $20,000 that will come in next March should help that, especially knowing this will go up to $24,000 in 2019. Main Street in Hots Springs may get helped with the $15,000 they should expect to receive in 2018 and a $3,000 increase above that in 2019. Thompson Falls should see a $31,000 increase to their street fund in the year 2018 for street projects. These are the examples of the expected revenues and where the locals can expect to see a direct positive result in addition to state highway projects that have been set back in time due to lack of funds.

Earlier in session it was thought that there was money found elsewhere and the gas tax was not needed but this was a short term fix and thought to not solve the problems for the long range.

I am glad to be home and enjoy our great Western Montana but appreciate the trust you granted me as your representative and feel free to continue to contact me. Rep. Denley Loge, 649-2368