Perdue unveils regional transportation funding proposal
Also proposes 10-year, $3 billion in bond funding for people-moving projects
After years of kicking the can and ignoring the problem, Georgia’s leadership finally sounds like it’s ready to do something about transportation. But don’t hold your breath.
Gov. Sonny Perdue today said he’d support a measure that would allow regions to vote on whether they wanted a one-cent sales tax hike to pay for much-needed roads, transit and bridges in their own communities. And regardless of whether that happens, the governor’s offered $300 million in bond funding to pay for transportation projects in the meantime and years to come.
Perdue’s announcement comes after years of inaction by the executive and legislative branches on transportation issues. For the last two years, the House and Senate have debated whether transportation funding should be raised via a statewide or regional sales tax. Perdue refused to support either proposal until the transportation planning power structure was reorganized. Everyone dithered and the problem became worse.
But things changed today.