The committee charged with finding billions of dollars in new funding sources for N.C. transportation projects voted this morning to finalize its report. Committee members discussed no changes from the draft report they had debated last month, though some of today?s discussion suggested that language had been altered in the document since the group?s last meeting.
You?ll find details of the group?s ideas in the latest Carolina Journal print cover story, or in this earlier online version.
One of the key pieces of the report generated one of the few notes of dissent during the final meeting of the 21st Century Transportation Committee. That piece is called the ?vehicle miles traveled? fee. The state would assess a VMT based on the numbers of miles a person drives in a year. The fee could replace ? or more likely supplement ? the state?s existing tax on gasoline.
Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy noted her concern that the example listed in the committee report would exempt only the first 2,000 miles drivers cover in a year. Bellamy had this exchange with committee Chairman Brad Wilson:
Bellamy: I know that?s going to negatively impact the western part of the state, so I would respectfully ask if we could at least start at 5,000 [miles]. Is that possible to get an amendment to at least have you all to look at starting at 5,000?
Wilson: Well, I think our recommendation ? we don?t get into that level of detail, mayor. What is offered there at the level of detail you are discussing is simply an example about how the VMT would work. The recommendation of this committee is ? simply stated ? that we would urge the General Assembly to undertake an analysis and a development of that approach ? whatever that may be ? and move the state in that direction. We are not recommending that it be 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 or a quarter-cent or half-cent [per mile]. So that?s in there by way of illustration only.
Bellamy: Is it possible to pull that out and vote on it separately?
Wilson: If you have a motion to amend the report, I?d be happy to entertain it.
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Wilson: If you have a motion to amend the example in the report to reflect that there would be 5,000 miles grandfathered rather than 2,000, I?ll be happy to entertain that motion, and we?ll act on it.
Bellamy: Since you said it?s just an example, is it possible to vote on a VMT separately from the entire bill? Just that portion.
Wilson: Not unless it?s the will of the committee to do so. This is the full committee report, and it would not be appropriate to do that. But again, if you have a specific amendment you want to make to this report, I?ll be happy to entertain that motion.
Bellamy: Well, I?ll make a motion to take it out completely.
Wilson: OK. We have a motion that would remove the VMT recommendation in its entirety. Is that correct? Is that your motion? Is there a second? [Pause.] All right, seeing no second, the motion fails for lack of a second.
That killed the discussion of removing the VMT from the 21st Century Committee?s report. Lawmakers will have a chance to consider the full report when they return next month for the 2009 long session.
