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AAC F A M I L Y & F R I E N D S ROADS


years, the revenues have been flat or declining. This, along with more fuel-efficient vehicles, results in road users paying less in motor fuels now than when the federal and state taxes were increased in 1993 and 2001, respectively. These factors along with the inflation for the costs of construction result in fewer revenues to maintain a deteriorating public state and local transportation infrastructure.


The 70-15-15 split is needed to maintain the rather substantial rural economy in Arkansas. As was aptly stated by Randy Veach, president of Arkansas Farm Bureau, “Any decision that would lead to decreased focus on rural roads would be detrimental


to rural Arkansans and Arkansas


agriculture. We can’t afford any negative impact to our state’s largest industry … Arkansas Farm Bureau policy is solidly behind the maintenance and upkeep of quality farm-to- market infrastructure.” Historically, the county officials have not done well at explaining or quantifying their needs to state officials or to the public. However, a couple of recently launched programs are proving helpful to this end.


During the CJAA Road Seminar and Annual Fall Meeting in September 2015, Dr. Stacy Williams, director of the Center for Training Transportation Professionals (CTTP) and a research associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas, CJAA President and Sebastian County Judge David Hudson, Michael Morgan of Greenburg-Farrow, and Darryl Gardner of Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions made a presentation on the establishment of a pavement management program (and parenthetically on a double chip-seal method). This program was a follow up of the presentations of Larry Galehouse, executive director of the National Center for Pavement Preservation for Michigan State University, to the CJAA in September 2014. In essence, the presentation this year explained the pilot project conducted in Sebastian County for assessing the paved roads and establishing a pavement management program. Other larger counties have recently sought these consultant services primarily as an internal management tool. However, this information should prove useful in further assessing the maintenance and funding needs for our massive system of county roads. Similarly, Shelby Johnson, director of Arkansas GIS, and Jonathan Duran, GIS Analyst, made a presentation for the CJAA at the Road Seminar and Annual Fall meeting on another valuable tool under MAP 21 (the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” of the U.S. Congress). In particular, they reported on the progress underway in providing uniform foundational data to each county and the public on the location, number and miles of public roads in Arkansas. This massive undertaking will help provide a foundation for the number and miles of public unpaved, gravel, dirt and paved roads in Arkansas. The CJAA also met with directors of the various Economic and Planning and Development Districts to seek a way to assure each county has this foundational uniform data and has access to an assessment of their roads and bridges and (as sought by the Governor’s Proclamation)


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the “present and future maintenance and funding needs of the county roads and bridges in Arkansas.


Moving Forward: Immediate Solutions for Maintenance; Long-term Solutions for Construction


On Nov. 18, 2015, the CJAA Executive Board finalized a resolution that was discussed at the CJAA meeting on Oct. 2. It provides:


1. The CJAA opposes any proposal to reduce funding to counties or departure from the traditional 70-15-15 split; and 2. The CJAA opposes any proposal to transfer thousands of miles of state highways to counties and cities; 3. The County Judges of Arkansas and CJAA support the proclamation and statements of the Governor and preliminary findings of the Working Group that:


• State highways, county roads, city streets and bridges in Arkansas are in dire need of construction, reconstruction and maintenance; • there is a need for increasing revenues for state highways, roads, streets and bridges in accordance with the traditional 70-15-15 split; • “the tax structure on motor fuels in this state is currently inadequate”; • dedicated road revenues have been flat or declining because of more fuel efficient motor vehicles and the tax on motor fuels is on a per gallon tax basis rather than a sales tax; • these factors along with the inflation for the costs of construction have resulted in less revenues to maintain a deteriorating public state and local transportation infrastructure.


In particular the CJAA took note of the Governor’s recent statement that highways should be funded through a method that is not static and that “can grow with our economy as every other tax does.” The Governor observed that one example of what other states have done is to base the fuel taxes on costs rather than gallons purchased. The CJAA resolved to support the statement of the Governor and concurred that it is imperative that construction, reconstruction and maintenance of our state highways, county roads, city streets and bridges in Arkansas should be funded through a method that, as stated by the Governor, is not static and “can grow with our economy as every other tax does.” Cleburne County Judge Jerry Holmes was appointed by the Governor and diligently served on the Working Group. Judge Holmes advocated that if Congress adopts the Marketplace Fairness Act, that: the hundreds of millions in increased sales tax revenues be directed in part toward: (a) responsible reductions in taxes imposed upon Arkansans; and (b) addressing the dire needs for construction, reconstruction and maintenance of our state highways, county roads, city streets and bridges caused in part by the increased use by commercial transportation of inventory from internet sales. This potential


COUNTY LINES, FALL 2015


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