Governor Proposes 18 Cent Gas Tax Increase

Governor DeWine this week proposed an 18 cent increase in the state gasoline tax to fill a deep pothole in the budget for building and maintaining the roads and bridges in the state. The tax would be indexed against the consumer price index.

Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks has testified that the state’s transportation system faces a “fiscal cliff” in an annual $1 billion shortfall for maintenance and new projects.

The current state gasoline tax is 28 cents. The proposed increase would raise $1.2 billion annually that would be shared with local governments.

In 2013, Governor Kasich raised $1.5 biillion by bonding against future turnpike revenue. The move masked the state’s gasoline tax revenue deficiency; the bond money ran out this year. 2/21/2019