Cleveland - Council President Kevin Kelley has commended the Ohio General Assembly for adopting a gasoline tax hike that will raise hundreds of millions of dollars for transportation projects and repairs to the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges.
City Council had adopted a resolution earlier this week supporting a proposal by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to raise the gas tax by 18 cents a gallon. But the General Assembly whittled the governor’s proposal down to 10.5 cents a gallon (19 cents for diesel), which will go into effect July 1st.
“It’s a good compromise,” said Councilman Kelley. “It provides resources to take on some major infrastructure projects. These are dollars that will help to ensure the safety of Ohio motorists.”
The new tax is expected to raise $865 million a year for transportation and road projects. It is the first state gas tax increase in 14 years.
Councilman Kelley also commended the General Assembly for including $70 million for public transportation in its recently adopted budget, an increase over what the state had been allocating in previous years.
“Our Greater Cleveland delegation in the state house pushed hard for this public transportation funding,” said Councilman Kelley. “Our share of these dollars will be put to good use in our city and in surrounding communities.”
Photos by Ken Robinson / WTAM 1100 / IHeartRadio 2019
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