/ Modified sep 29, 2015 11:54 a.m.

Report: Arizona Revenues Fall Far Short of Highway Needs

Auditor General's Office projects $63 billion fund shortage in next quarter century.

Road paving spotlight
Courtesy ADOT

State officials are looking for ways to bridge a gap in highway funding that is expected to reach $62.7 billion over the next 25 years.

The Arizona Capitol Times reported Tuesday that the Auditor General's Office calculated the deficit by projecting revenues in the highway user fund and the costs of road-building and maintenance projects needed to keep up with traffic volumes.

The report recommends the state form a task force to explore revenue-generating options, such as raising the state gasoline tax. The tax has been at 18 cents a gallon since 1991.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has said he is against higher taxes.

Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, said he wants a gasoline sales tax, which would be based on a percentage of the sale rather than a flat per-gallon rate.

Worsley, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said it is difficult to illustrate funding needs to voters who live in Maricopa County, where freeways are generally in good condition.

Adjusting the gasoline tax in 1992 would have raised $4.3 billion by the end of 2014, the audit report said.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona