YOUR TAXES AT WORK

Nearly $1 billion has been collected since you started paying higher gas taxes.

After more than 2 years, the Department of Transportation has completed less than 20% of repair projects.

Of 1,967 projects in 46 counties, 317, or 16.1%, were completed by Nov. 30.

8 counties had completion rates of less than 10%, including Lexington 7.8%, Richland 7.5% and Charleston, with only 2.04%.

Only Saluda County, home of Transportation Departmnt chief Christy Hall, had 50% of its projects completed.

Total paving projects ranged from 16 in Saluda County to 126 in Orange-burg County.

During the 2 years, the state collected $963.5 million under the gas-tax-hike law – $124 million more than the estimated cost of all paving projects.

That represented nearly 79% of the $1.2 billion in project commitments.

A special fund created by the gas-tax-hike law has $464.3 million – about 48.2% of collections.

Lawmakers raised the gas tax 12 cents a gallon over 6 years and increased other vehicle taxes and fees.

They promised the money would go to fix crumbling roads and bridges.

DOT said 80% of 42,000 miles of roads need repair and 465 of 750 deficient bridges need replacing.

Despite lawmakers’ promises, DOT will use $247.2 million to widen interstates.

The state Senate Special Interstate Subcommittee has discussed accelerating interstate expansion.

The subcommittee was created by longtime Sen. Hugh Leatherman.

He is chairman of the budget-writing Senate Finance Committee and a member of the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank board.

That board has funneled several billion dollars to large construction projects in select counties.

Leatherman’s family is in the concrete business.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve. Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@thenerve.org .