Representative Bob Kulp's Listening Session in Marshfield, More Transportation Funds
Thursday, February 5th, 2015 -- 12:13 PM
-Representative Bob Kulp was in our area on Monday of last week, holding listening sessions for residents to voice their concerns.During the session, the conversation turned back to the lack of funds for the transportation department and why the gas tax isn't raised, why registration isn't raised and the costs that arise while construction is being done.
He said, "There are people that have just said, we will not raise taxes and gas taxes falls into that pledge, if you will. In talking with the Transportation Investment Management people, I asked them how much would it take to make you whole in terms of doing what you need to do? I was hoping to hear something like $.8 to $.10. They said about $.24 a gallon, initially, which none of us would like."
"I think we are lower in registration fees here. We're kind of an island in low registration fees. So, could we/should we maybe go up a little bit more? Again, I'm not on the Transportation Committee this time, but I think those things should be discussed and talked about. Hopefully, the governor will answer some of that in the budget."
"I think that, probably, the bigger, low-hanging fruit in transportation is where it intersects with the DNR. North of Marshfield on Highway E, Marathon County is going to repave that next year. And there's a couple of areas where the ditch itself is considered wetlands. Not the field behind it and not, of course, the road, but they're going to disturb it just enough that they actually, this is something the Highway Commissioner of Marathon County told me, that they'll have to spend an extra $130,000 to pave that road and be able to take those wetlands out of where they are and, of course, put them somewhere else in the same watershed."
Representative Kulp was in Granton, Marshfield and Abbotsford.
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