MDOT calls on the Legislature for more state funding

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Tensions were high at the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s press conference as they approach what they are calling a crisis.

Today was the department’s last chance efforts to receive more state funding from the Legislature.

“Legislators, representatives, senators, lieutenant governor, governor, you want to fix the highways. I know you do, dammit, you told me, but you got to do it,” MDOT Northern Commissioner John Caldwell said.

Caldwell was joined by his fellow commissioners, Willie Simmons and Charles Busby, in a call to the Legislature.

They made it clear that the department will not be able to meet the infrastructure needs moving forward, as their primary way of receiving state funding, the fuel tax, is not as effective.

“Today’s vehicles have greater fuel economy, which means that individuals today pay less to drive on our roads than they did in 1987. If you had a half-ton pickup in 1987, you would have paid about $264 in fuel tax through the year. Today, you would pay $185,” Southern Commissioner Busby.

Annual recurring streams of revenue are the long-term solution they want to be addressed.

They have recently been receiving “one-time money” funds, like the nearly 2 billion dollars the Legislature granted the department last year.

While Commissioner Simmons appreciates those funds, problems that will happen in the future will not be able to be fixed without recurring revenue. One example he used was the heavy weight of large vehicles.

“When you add that weight. It creates a problem and not having the funding to do so creates a serious problem and a crisis that we are talking about we are leading into.”

MDOT said they will accept any money from the Legislature, but Commissioner Simmons said if he could pick his own figures, the department would need $9 billion a year for capacity projects and about $400 million a year for maintenance.

Some state lawmakers have said they would like to have their budget plan finished by April 15, so MDOT is now on the clock to join that budget plan.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.

Copyright 2024 WLBT. All rights reserved.