The mid-term elections are officially over. Ballotpedia stated this week on its website that voters in 37 states decided a total of 155 statewide ballot measures. Not all, of course, were motorist related but a few certainly were. We have also included some important county or city ballot issues that asked voters to raise the sales tax or bonds to maintain and repair streets and roads or at least some of the new funding raised would be for roads.
Here is a list of ballot issues on a statewide, county or city level that will affect mostly infrastructure decisions for years to come in state order.
Arizona
Arizona Proposition 127: Renewable Energy Standards Initiative—Failed
Would have required electric utilities to increase the percentage of electricity from renewable resources to 50 percent by 2030.
Pima County Proposition 463: Bond issue for roads—Failed
Scottsdale, AZ Question 1: Transportation Project Transaction Privilege Tax—Passed
California
California Proposition 6: Gas Tax Repeal approved by the Legislature since January 2017 If approved, would have repealed fuel tax increases and vehicle fees enacted in 2017 by the legislature including the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 or RRAA. Also would require voter approval for the legislature to impose, increase or extend fuel taxes or vehicle fees in the future.—Failed
Here are the many other sales tax or bond issues that California city or county voters were asked to approve (P= Passed, F= Failed)
Sales Tax Increase (some to be used for road repair)
P
Colorado
Proposition 109: Authorize up to $3.5 billion in bonds for statewide transportation projects. Known as “Fix our Damn Roads.”—Failed
Proposition 110: Authorize a 62-cent increase of the sales and use tax for the next 20 years and would authorize the CO DOT to issue bonds up to $6 billion. Known as “Let’s Go Colorado.”—Failed
Aurora, CO Measure 31: Shall the city continue the Photo Red-Light Enforcement Program? Two-thirds voted to abolish!
Connecticut
Connecticut Amendment 1: Create a lockbox for transportation funds—Passed
Florida
Florida Amendment 5: Supermajority Vote Required To Impose, Authorize, or Raise State Taxes or Fees—Passed
Broward County: 1% Sales Tax Increase for Transportation Improvements—Passed
Hillsborough County, Florida No. 2 Referendum—1% Sales Tax Increase to Fix Roads—Passed
Idaho
Ada County—increase in vehicle registration fees for transportation mobility and safety—Failed
Louisiana
Louisiana Amendment 4: Prohibit money form the Transportation Trust Fun to be dedicated to the state police. It would be solely dedicated to road and bridge maintenance, flood control, ports, airports and transit.—Passed
Maine
Maine Question 3: Authorize bonds for transportation infrastructure, $106 million in general obligation bonds and can only go towards capital projects.—Passed
Missouri
Missouri Proposition D: If approved, would increase the state’s per-gallon gas tax over four years, to 27.3 cents from a current 17.3 cents. Increase fuel tax, boost state highway patrol revenue, finance repairs, and create Emergency State Freight Bottleneck Fund (which would help finance repairs on portions of I-70 in the St. Louis area. 500 million tons of freight are carried in those 165 miles with 16 interchanges per year.)—Failed
Nevada
Nevada Question 6: Renewable Energy Standards Initiative
If passed, would require electric utilities to acquire 50 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2030.—Passed
New Mexico
Bernalillo County, NM Bond Question NO. 4: Transportation Bond—Passed
Texas
Austin Proposition G: Transportation Infrastructure Bond Issue—Passed
Utah
Utah Nonbinding Question 1: Raise the state motor and special fuel tax by 10 cents to fund education and local roads—Failed
Washington State
Washington State Initiative 1631: Carbon Emissions Fee Measure—Failed