Gas Tax fiasco

The state has invested less than 7% of the $399 million it has taken from us in the first 15 months of the gas tax hike.

Lawmakers promised the money would fix our deteriorating roads and bridges.

According to Department of Transportation records, about $25.7 million or 6.4%, of the $398.9 million in taxes since the law took effect July 1, 2017, has been spent.

DOT records show $186,657 was spent in Lexington County.

That’s far less than the millions being spend in Anderson, Berkeley, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Orangeburg, Saluda and Sumter counties or the whopping $3.2 million in Greenville County.

Surprisingly, DOT records show nothing spent in Florence County, home of Sen, Hugh Leatherman, one of the most powerful lawmakers in the state.

The law hiked the gas tax 12 cents a gallon, or 75% from 16 cents, over 6 years, and increased other taxes and fees, including raising vehicle sales-tax cap by $200.

Total spending to date is less than 4.5% of the nearly $586.3 million in projects statewide identified by DOT.

The list has grown monthly although it provides no specifics of work to be done.

DOT was sitting on $338 million in gas tax hike revenues on Sept. 30, according to agency and the comptroller general.

DOT has said 80% of the state’s 42,000 miles of roads need resurfacing or rebuilding and identified 465 of 750 “structurally deficient” bridges to replace.

Through September, DOT had spent no money from the state Infrastructure Maintenance Trust Fund in 13, or more than a quarter, of the state’s 46 counties. In the other 33 counties, the amounts spent ranged from $16,634 in Georgetown County to $3.2 million in Greenville County.

DOT and comptroller general records show that an additional $34.6 million was spent from the IMTF as of Sept. 30 through the County Transportation Committee Donor Bonus Program. It allows counties to receive rebates on gas taxes collected above money allocated to them for roads.

The watchdog SC Policy Council has contended that the gas tax hike law was written to allow DOT to divert IMTF revenues to pay bond debts of the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

The STIB over the years has funneled several billion dollars for large construction projects in politically preferred counties.

DOT chief Christy Hall told DOT commissioners in April that lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the gas tax hike law and a 2016 statute have forced the agency to seek other funds for interstate projects.

DOT has identified few bridge repairs.

The DOT Commission has approved adding $15 million annually to a separate, 10-year $1.5 billion bridge-replacement program – but not until 2024 after a tax credit created by the gas tax law expires.

DOT expects to have $114 million annually after the credit expires. But we have revealed that over the next 5 years, DOT will have to transfer a total estimated $300.1 million to cover expected shortfalls in a state account that will be used to fund the credits until they expire.

Rick Brundrett can be contacted at 803-254-4411