Highway 14 Partnership prefers gas tax hike go for road projects

Group critical of Ventura gas tax

in budget plan

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- If more money is to be found for accelerating the U.S. Highway 14 expansion from Rochester to New Ulm, Highway 14 Partnership members were told Monday, it will have to come from a significant increase in the state's gas tax.

However, Minnesota House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, and Assistant Senate Majority Leader John Hottinger, DFL-Mankato, told the group they will have to fend off Governor Ventura's attempt to use the gas tax increase to "plug the holes" in the budget.

"You may have a friend in Jesus, but you don't have one in the governor's office," Hottinger said. That was only one of the shots fired at the governor's announced plan to ask for a gas tax increase to help stem the $2 billion budget shortfall.

"We in the House know that a permanent increase in transportation dollars is imperative. If and when we increase funding for highways and bridges, it will not go to the general fund," Sviggum pledged.

While Hottinger acknowledged Sviggum was right in saying the House has leaned more toward highways and the Senate toward transit, "we've tried to achieve a balance in roads for greater Minnesota. There's a great deal of frustration (in the Senate) with the governor announcing a bonding bill for $750 million, and not a penny for roads. The gas tax increase will be the crux of the issue, and we're going to re-prioritize the budget needs."

U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-Second District, told the group to fight using the gas tax to restore the revenue lost when vehicle license tabs were reduced two years ago.

"We had a step back with the motor vehicle license tab reduction," Kennedy said. "We're one of the few states that don't bond their roads so we have to be sure that we don't have a big increase in gas tax with nothing going to roads."

After some debate over amount, the Partnership -- a coalition of 89 local governments and entities along the Highway 14 corridor from Rochester to New Ulm -- passed a resolution calling for "at least a seven-cent increase" in the gas tax with the entire amount going to highways.

It was pointed out that one cent of gas tax translates to $31 million, and of that amount, $1.2 million would show up in Minnesota Department of Transportation's District 7 Mankato budget.

Both Kennedy and Sviggum told of seeing MnDOT estimates of how additional money could accelerate current road projects.

"It was astounding what a difference it makes," Sviggum said.

While saying he would be happy to see additional money, District Engineer Jon Huseby of Mankato came armed with figures on how much MnDOT has put into Highway 14 expansion and how much more it will be putting into it.

"In the past five years, we have spent $77 million, including lettings to be made this March," Huseby said, "and MnDOT will be spending $180 million in the next 10 years."

For the Mankato district, which includes 1,345 "centerline" miles of highway (either two-lane or four-lane), "we're dedicating over $10 million a year over the next 10 years to Highway 14. That's huge for our budget."

With an annual budget ranging between $38-$40 million, that represents more than 25 percent of the annual budget, Huseby said.

District 6 Rochester Assistant Engineer Tony Hames reported his district had invested $34 million in Highway 14 construction during the past five years.

"We're investing a lot of money in obtaining rights-of-way so we'll be in a good position if projects are moved up because of an infusion of money," Huseby said.

For those interested in the proposed New Ulm to North Mankato segment, he had a "best guess" estimate of a start in funding between 2015 and 2020.

"So it is showing up in our 20-year plan, but I wouldn't even begin to try to estimate what that segment might cost," Huseby told the group. He said $200,000 from the 2000 state funding bill, along with $50,000 from MnDOT's consulting funds, is being used to fund a study which has begun to develop a management plan to upgrade Highway 14 from North Mankato to New Ulm.

Later he said he couldn't guarantee whether it would be an expansion to four lanes throughout the segment because "that's what the eventual environmental impact statement will determine."

In addition to approving "position" resolutions, a budget and a course of action for 2002, the Partnership, which met at Turner Hall, re-elected Owatonna Mayor Peter Connor chairman and elected Mankato City Manager Pat Hentges vice chairman.