Momentum builds for gas tax increase in Iowa

By Sioux City Journal

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Momentum continues to build for the first increase in Iowa's gas tax since 1989.

Two stories in the Journal provided evidence of growing support for an increase.

Recently at a meeting in Ankeny, representatives of industry and local government told members of the Governor's Transportation 2020 Citizen Advisory Commission the gas tax should be raised. Recently at a meeting in Sioux City, members of the U.S. Highway 20 Corridor Association said they, too, support an increase in the tax.

We will continue watching and listening with interest as members of the advisory commission take input from Iowans at additional hearings across the state this year, but the public trend appears to be building in favor of an increase. The advisory panel was formed to gather information about the state's transportation needs and make recommendations for funding them to the Department of Transportation.

As we have said before, we advocated for no hike in the gas tax in the recent past due to the recession and a slow, fragile economic recovery, but we understand Iowa's transportation infrastructure obligations and realities make a future increase likely, if not inevitable. According to the DOT, the annual deficit between road and bridge needs and the revenue available to meet them is almost $1.5 billion; for “critical needs,” more than $200 million.

If Iowa's economy continues to strengthen over the first six months of this fiscal year, next year may be the year for a full, robust gas tax debate. (Gov. Terry Branstad's position on a gas tax increase will be key to this debate.)

At this point, we would be surprised if the governor's advisory commission does not include a gas tax hike in its recommendations. In our minds, the only question is how much of an increase will panel members suggest?

To that end, we again today urge the commission to look beyond just the traditional gas tax funding source and embrace Branstad's challenge to be creative and innovative in its approach to meeting the state's transportation needs.