The N.C. General Assembly is wrangling over competing bills in the N.C. House and N.C. Senate aimed at raising the state’s gasoline tax to help repair and in some cases rebuild an aging infrastructure of roads and bridges.
While the intent is good, the gasoline tax continues to lose its effectiveness as a state money-maker.
For one thing, it already is high enough that shrewd out-of-state drivers make sure they fill up either north or south of North Carolina to avoid paying a tax that makes our pump prices higher than those in South Carolina or Virginia.
For another thing, cars, trucks and SUVs are becoming more and more fuel efficient. Hybrids and electric vehicles further wallop the amount of gasoline being consumed.
Even with the state population growing at a pace that’s faster than that of most other states, our new residents further strain our aging highway system. Whatever the General Assembly decides to do to pay for road repairs this year, the gasoline tax probably isn’t going to be as sustainable as lawmakers would like to think.
It’s time for creative minds to look for new ways to fund roadwork.
