By Steve Kozachik and Sharon Bronson

Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF) are the primary source of funds available to Cities and Counties throughout the State to be used for the repair and maintenance of our roadways. The State charges a variety of transportation related fees and collects a tax on motor fuels, keeps some of the revenue and distributes by formula the remaining dollars to localities.

By Statute, Cities and Counties are precluded from collecting similar fees and taxes. We are dependent on the good faith of the State to keep its part of the bargain and return to us the dollars we are due.
At least, that’s the script. The actors at the Legislature aren’t reading their lines.

The formula is supposed to be that the State keeps 50.3% of the funds collected, Cities receive 27.5% of the money, and Counties are to receive 19% of the funds. The final 3% is to be distributed to Cities with populations in excess of 300,000.

Since the 2009 election, the State has swept $373 million in HURF money State-wide, and has shifted it to paying for other budget line items at that State level.

These past two years aren’t the anomaly. The fact is that every year for the past 12 fiscal years, the State has swept HURF money into their own coffers, to the tune of almost $1.5 billion of your dollars.

Those sweeps took place under the leadership of both Republicans and Democrats. Perhaps you’ve noticed the impact on the quality of the roads on which you’re driving in both the City and in the County.

In 2007, Pima County received $44.5M in HURF dollars. In 2010 that figure had dropped to $38M. That same comparison for the city is just under $50M in 2007 and right at $43M in 2010.  The City took another $5M hit in fiscal year ’12. The County took another $4.2M hit that same year.

Both jurisdictions are anticipating the trend continuing into the 2013 fiscal year. The condition of our roadways is a public safety issue, an issue that impacts tourism, and inhibits our ability to recruit and attract private sector investment into the area.

We believe that every State Legislator who represents any portion of Pima County, including the City of Tucson should be actively resisting any further reductions in the HURF allocations to this region. In fact, the State should refund the dollars that have been swept from the Pima County and City of Tucson taxpayers so our elected governing bodies can be about the work of repairing your roads.

During the most recent Legislative session, this region saw a flurry of bills that were undeniably aimed at both Pima County and the City of Tucson. Many of those were sponsored by members of the Southern Arizona Legislative Delegation. We find that a curiously odd way to represent your constituents.

We are committed to applying every penny returned to the City and to the County exclusively for road repair and maintenance – not a dime for administrative fees. We are committed to working with our respective governing bodies towards that end. Without the willing consent by the State to refund HURF dollars, we are also committed to fighting for what belongs to you through whatever means it takes.

We believe that all of our communities, Marana, Oro Valley, South Tucson and Sahuarita could use more money to maintain their roads.

Steve Kozachik is a Tucson City Councilman representing Ward 6 and Sharon Bronson is the Pima County District 3 Supervisor.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under Government. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.