Hall bill to increase county roads funding clears full Senate

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Monday passed Senate Bill 1403 from Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, to increase funding for county roads and highways.

SB 1403 proposes eliminating an existing cap on motor vehicle tax collections that limits the amount of funding counties receive for road maintenance and improvement. The cap was implemented in 2015 as a result of state budget shortfalls in order to increase funding going to the state Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) fund.

A portion of motor vehicle tax collections are apportioned to county road improvement funds. But once those accounts hit a cap, additional tax collections are diverted to the ROADS fund.

Hall said rural Oklahoma faces pressing infrastructure challenges due to deteriorating roads and growing maintenance costs.

“State finances have improved since 2015, necessitating changes to infrastructure funding,” Hall said. “Everyone is struggling due to high inflation. Counties are no different. Counties, especially those in rural areas, need all the funding they can get as the cost of road maintenance and improvements continue to increase.”

Fiscal estimates show an additional $8.9 million would be apportioned to county roads funds next year if SB 1403 becomes law. The bill now advances to the House for consideration.

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For more information, contact Sen. Chuck Hall at (405) 521-2628 or Chuck.Hall@oksenate.gov