November amendment vote would decide use of gas, vehicle taxes

Every general election needs a ballot initiative with a catchy name. This coming November, that new ballot buzz word may be Amendment 3, an initiative that several state organizations hope catches on with Missouri voters.

On July 27, the secretary of state certified Amendment 3 to appear on the November ballot, an initiative that if passed will put all revenue of Missouri's existing gas and vehicle sales taxes toward funding of state transportation services.

The initiative was driven in large part by the work of several interest groups, including the Missouri Chamber Federation, Associated Industries of Missouri and the Missouri Transportation and Development Council. Together, these groups gathered over 155,000 signatures to get the question in front of voters in the Nov. 2 election.

"To me, it's a government credibility issue," said Steve Hoven, chair of the Missouri Transportation and Development Council. "This will take money and put it where it should've been going all along."

If passed, Amendment 3 would end the current government practice of diverting fuel taxes, vehicle taxes and fees to state agencies not directly involved in the construction or maintenance of state and local highways. It would redirect as much as $160 million phased in over a four-year period from those agencies to the Department of Transportation.

The amendment's sponsors say that money will allow the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to issue nearly $300 million in bonds annually to increase the state's road construction budget by over 30 percent.

Ray McCarty, director of fiscal affairs for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that the measure will have zero net fiscal impact because it would increase funding for highway projects by limiting the use of highway user fees by other state agencies. He also said that it was important that the measure be a constitutional amendment so it can't be "played with" by future legislatures.

"This will correct a problem that's been there for years," McCarty said.

Since the amendment was only recently certified, chief engineer Kevin Keith said that the Missouri Department of Transportation has not yet had a chance to review the amendment and form its official opinion. He said that is something the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission will look at in their next meeting in August.

But Keith did say that anything that creates more resources for the department will almost certainly help Missouri's transportation systems in the long run.

"There's no question that additional revenue is needed for transportation," Keith said. "I don't think anyone argues about that anymore."

trehagen@semissourian.com

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