Gas taxes to pay for repairs to crumbling roads

Officials: Gas taxes could see increase every year until 2018

DETROIT – Intense negotiations are underway in Lansing to come up with a fix for crumbling roads. That fix is going to cost taxpayers a whole lot more at the pump.

Everyone agrees the roads need to be repaired but will Michiganders agree with a hike on the gas tax to pay for it? One that could see an increase every year until 2018?

Major resistance to the plan has the governor and legislative leaders scheduled to meet behind closed doors Tuesday to see if a deal can be done.

After legislators danced around the issue, Senate Majority Leader Randu Richardville is pushing a plan to fund the overhaul of our infrastructure, but it comes at a price.

The road fix plan is expected to give taxpayers the following hikes:

Subtitle: what it costs

  • 9.5 percent increase 2015
  • 13.5 percent increase 2017
  • 15.5 percent increase 2018

What does that mean in real numbers? The best guess from the senate is it means gas would go up by 7 cents at the pump in the first year alone.

"The infrastructure in Michigan is terrible, everybody knows it," Richardville said. "'Just fix the damn roads' is what I've been told."

But polling on the issue has been very consistent. A Local 2 News poll found 45.8 percent of voters said Lansing has been sent enough money already.

"This is all pretty much moot, but something has to happen," said Lex Kuhne of Birmingham.


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