ACCO Legislative Update - Episode 14

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Readers Forum: Investment in county roads, bridges needed

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BY FRED PERRY & JOHN SMALIGO
 Thursday, 

Tulsa World - May 16, 2013


As the 2013 state legislative session enters its remaining days, lawmakers have many important issues still to address, including one - House Bill 1080 - that impacts every Oklahoman who drives in any of our state's 77 counties. The county highway system is composed of almost 84,000 miles of roadway and more than 14,000 bridges. 

Within the county highway system there is what's known as the "County Major Collector System" which connects small communities and provides corridors for local industries, even within the city limits of the city of Tulsa, to move product to market and regular traffic. There are 15,115 miles and 4,376 bridges on the major collector system, including 98 miles in Tulsa County. 



The highways and bridges on the major collector system are in extreme need of new resources to maintain existing infrastructure and to construct new highways and bridges when necessary. 

HB 1080 would reallocate, over a two-year period beginning July 1, a total of 5 percent from the Oklahoma Vehicle License and Registration Act for use on the major collector system in all 77 counties, resulting in $30 million in new revenue to invest on county highways and bridges.



One of the primary reasons HB 1080 is needed is that in the case of a natural disaster or severe weather, FEMA disaster funding cannot be used to repair damage on the major collector system. Without new revenue, Oklahoma's county highways and bridges will continue to deteriorate at a rate that will make it very difficult for counties to ever be able to fully address maintenance and construction issues moving forward. 



In addition, the new revenue is generated by the license tag fees Oklahoma residents pay annually to drive on state and county highways and bridges every day. We strongly believe, as do our 229 county commissioner colleagues across the state, that these funds should be used to invest back into Oklahoma's transportation infrastructure such as the County Major Collector System. 



As former state representatives, we know firsthand the myriad of important issues legislators face, especially during the last month of session. Investing in Oklahoma's county highways and bridges, through the passage of HB 1080, is certainly one of these issues, and we urge the Legislature to continue the commitment to making Oklahoma's transportation infrastructure a model for the rest of the nation. 



Approving HB 1080 will go many miles toward that effort, and Oklahoma's county highway system and the communities it serves will be positively impacted for years to come.Original Print Headline: Investment in county roads, bridges needed.


Fred Perry, District 3, and John Smaligo, District 1, are Tulsa County commissioners and former state legislators.