Tapping into Transportation Trust Fund Once Again Part of Budget Process

During the 2010 session, Bob Burleson, president of the Florida Transportation Builders Association (FTBA), led a coalition that included leaders from the Associated Industries of Florida and Florida TaxWatch to ensure that the Legislature did not pull money out of the State Transportation Trust Fund (STTF).

Burleson repeated his warning on Wednesday after a House subcommittee looked to tap into the trust fund which, Burleson pointed out, is being kept intact in the budget proposals from Gov. Rick Scott and the Senate.

Yet again, funding for the Florida Department of Transportation is in jeopardy, said Burleson on Wednesday. Yesterday, members of the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development (TED) outlined their first attempt to enact job-killing legislation that would bring transportation projects to a standstill. The FTBA cannot condone the actions of House leadership who, through a piecemeal process of budget allocations, continuously attack the STTF, and in doing so break their trust with Florida citizens.

Among other possibilities mentioned by the TED committee, potential allocations included an 8 percent service charge for STTF user-fee collections and a multimillion-dollar raid of the trust fund, continued Burleson. The proposed 8 percent service charge would create an even larger and devastating blow to the road- and bridge-building industry in Florida. An earlier trust fund service charge was repealed under Governor Jeb Bush and is not included in the governors or Senates budget outline. This proposed service charge would be a recurring measure, diverting more than $160 million cash this year alone in gas tax user fees from the trust fund into general revenue coffers. If enacted, a total of $800 million cash will be removed from DOTs five-year work plan, which translates into the elimination of $2.5 billion worth of infrastructure projects. Over a five-year period, more than 70,000 jobs would potentially be terminated.

While Washington doesnt get everything right, Congress only allows the federal trust fund transportation dollars to be spent on transportation, he added. Last year, Florida saw a trust fund raid veto while receiving federal economic stimulus money to supplement FDOTs barebones budget. This year, we know the economic stimulus funds are gone, but remain hopeful that the House will see the error in its ways.

The FTBA understands that transportation makes Florida work, said Burleson in conclusion. The governor and the Senate seem to understand this as well, but the House is content to kick the can down the road. It may be early in the legislative process but a vote to raid the State Transportation Trust Fund or enact a service charge is ultimately a vote to eliminate Florida jobs. We hope House leadership recognizes this as the budget allocations continue and take guidance from Governor Scott and the Senate who understand the priority for Florida is to create jobs, not kill them.