The Forthcoming Transportation Package

Maintaining and building an efficient transportation system is one of the main functions of government. However, in Oregon, transportation planning has led to much-deserved skepticism and mistrust from Oregonians in recent years. I am optimistic that an upcoming transportation package in the 2025 session will provide us with a much-needed opportunity to rebuild trust with the public and address long-standing issues.

In response to ODOT’s budget issues, some leaders have been pushing forward on the development of a 2025 transportation package. Unfortunately, when you hear talk of a “transportation package” from some officials, you should hold onto your wallet, but I think there is a better way.

In 2017, as part of the last transportation package, the Legislature passed a 10-cent gas tax increase, the last portion of which went into effect in January of this year. They also significantly raised taxes on heavy trucks, which has led to the trucking industry being overtaxed for the last several years, compared to automobiles.

ODOT is indeed in a bit of a funding pinch. They don’t have enough money to complete projects that are currently in progress and are falling behind in maintaining existing roads. Some of that is due to record inflation over the last few years, but the rest is a result of poor planning by the Legislature.

ODOT says they need $1.8 billion more annually, which is equivalent to a nearly $1 a gallon gas tax increase. That’s a non-starter for me. State government is collecting record revenue, so we shouldn’t have any problems finding money to pay for roads without raising gas taxes.

There are some other ways to fund a transportation package: 

Oregon’s Constitution requires that those who use the road pay in proportion to how much wear and tear they incorporate on the roads. In this regard, electric vehicles have been severely underpaying their fair share, which has increased the relative cost for those driving gas-powered cars. We must ensure electric vehicles are paying their fair share.

We must also streamline ODOT and make them more efficient. ODOT is paying $6 million per year on climate and equity staff. ODOT is also being sued over a costly and controversial program that excludes non-union contractors from working on road construction projects which drives up costs. 

Instead of raising taxes, the Legislature ought to use General Fund dollars to prioritize the most important transportation needs. Much like your family’s budget, the General Fund needs to be spent on high-priority projects after all the maintenance and repair bills are paid. We will spend nearly $28 billion in General Fund money in this current budget cycle. Next budget cycle, there is nothing stopping us from using some of those funds for transportation. 

I look forward to working on solutions that won’t burden Oregonians with more taxes. As we progress toward that goal, I will also advocate for our local infrastructure needs, including reopening discussions around the third bridge North of Salem and looking at opportunities to fund a commuter train option from Wilsonville to Salem. I am hopeful that, with a new Mayor, I can assist in moving these priorities along. 
It truly is an honor to represent this community in the Oregon Legislature. If you have any comments or questions, please reach out at: Rep.KevinMannix@oregonlegislature.gov. I would love to hear from you!