The funding which once fueled miles
and miles of road construction through West
Virginia
Much of the funding issue was
brought to light over the past year by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Highways
authorized by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. Their findings were eye opening and
will be staring state lawmakers straight in the face when the regular session
of the 2014 legislative session opens in Charleston
“We’re going the wrong way,” said
State Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox. “For a while we at least had a
steady 500 Million dollar highway construction fund, but that has been scaled
back to about 400 Million. That’s a significant change.”
The figure represents 20 percent of
the money used for road building in West
Virginia Charleston
“We’re taking a look at what to
render in the regular session and what might be floated later in the year in a
special session,” Mattox said. “It’s still being debated.”
Tolls and tax hikes were very
unpopular suggestions by the Commission to make up the shortfall.
Another cost cutting measure is
already in place. The public/private partnership action passed by lawmakers
last year is already paying dividends. Mattox thinks it might have a larger
promise, but they’ll have to wait and see.
“Public private partnerships the
way we are looking at them are not bringing any new revenue into the projects,”
said Mattox. “But it may help us to get those projects started and enacted
quicker with the contractor doing some interim financing.”
Mattox said the decision is still
being made on what to propose and what will need more time, study, debate, and
public acceptance.
