The Western Arizona Council of Governments has proposed using $13 million in state funds to repair and improve Vicksburg Road in La Paz County. This will be part of the Rural Transportation Bill introduced by the Rural Transportation Advocacy Council.
The proposal was introduced by La Paz County District 2 Supervisor Duce Miner at the Regional Transportation Summit held in Yuma on Oct. 18 and 19. Miner serves on the WACOG Board of Directors and serves as RTAC's alternate representative.
As Miner explained, each planning district in the state submits transportation project proposals to RTAC for consideration at the Regional Transportation Summit. These will be submitted to Parliament in the form of a bill by the RTAC. The bill is likely to undergo a number of changes as it becomes part of the state's budget process.
Projects totaling approximately $400 million are proposed. WACOG he is proposing a $40.1 million project.
Vicksburg Road is a county road in eastern La Paz County that connects Interstate 10, Route 60, and State Route 72. The road was paved in his 1980s, and one unintended consequence was that it became the preferred route between southern Mohave County. And I-10 heading towards Phoenix. Miner pointed out that the road receives far more traffic than its construction purpose, including semi-trucks.
The proposal would remove approximately eight miles of current pavement on Vicksburg Road and replace it with new hot-mix asphalt. This will extend the lifespan of the road by 25 years.
Miner argues that Vicksburg Road should become a state highway because it connects three federal highways with the state highway.
“We can’t do this alone,” Miner said of the request for state funding. “We receive $5 million or $6 million in Highway User Revenue Funds from the state every year for our roads. If we tried to do this ourselves, we would have to spend more than two years doing all the other road work. We’re going to have to cancel.”
In fiscal year 2023-24, La Paz County is expected to receive $6.24 million in HURF funds.
This is not the first time state funding has been proposed for Vicksburg Road.
Earlier this year, a bill was introduced that would provide $5.6 million for Vicksburg Road as part of a $330 million regional highway bill. HB2543 was introduced in March by 25th District Rep. Timothy Dunn (R-Yuma). It had a number of co-sponsors, including Republicans Leo Biasiucci and John Gillette, who represent La Paz County. There was strong bipartisan support.
The bill passed the Arizona House of Representatives on March 8 by a vote of 50-8-2. The bill was moved to the Senate and recommended for passage by the Transportation and Technology Committee and the Appropriations Committee. However, the Rules Committee took no action. As of October 26, the bill is listed as “pending in the Senate.”
Miner said the big difference between HB2543 and the current proposal is that the new proposal would have the state paying the full cost.
It was announced a week before the Regional Transportation Summit that Arizona is projecting a $400 million deficit in the current 2023-24 fiscal year. Rep. David L. Cook (R-Grove), chairman of the Arizona House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told attendees that the state still has money for transportation projects and that the deficit will deter them from raising money. He said it shouldn't be done.
“His advice to us was, 'Apply, apply, apply some more,'” Miner said.
Initially projecting the state's surplus for the current fiscal year to be $10 million, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on Oct. 11 now projects the state's deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year to be $400 million. reported. They cited lower income and sales taxes as the reason for the deficit.
Radio station KJZZ reported a 27% decline in income tax revenue for the first quarter of the fiscal year. This was in part due to tax cuts that took effect in 2021. JLBC Chief Economist Hans Olofsson said the income tax forecast is now $500 million lower than originally predicted, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
Sales taxes are also expected to be about $240 million less than expected.
In media reports, Democrats slammed the school voucher program, which was budgeted for $625 million but cost the state $665 million. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs criticized the plan.
Rep. Seth Bratman (D-Phoenix) said spending on voucher programs is “out of control.”
Republican Congressional leaders said concerns over costs are overblown. Senate President Warren Peterson (R-Gilbert) told the Arizona Star he doesn't dispute the tax amount, but added that the deficit has nothing to do with gift certificates. He said part of the deficit is due to the Biden administration and the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes. These will reduce sales of “big-ticket items'' such as cars, and consumption tax revenue will also decline.
Rep. David Livingston (R-Peoria), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, told Arizona families he is considering cutting state spending in other areas.
“The state has managed deficits before, and we will do it again,” he was quoted as saying.
