JACKSON Tenn – The Madison County Resolutions committee will meet this Wednesday to take up the state gas tax discussion.
A state legislative panel has changed and passed Gov. Bill Haslam’s transportation bill.
Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris called the bill a compromise with Haslam as the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee passed it by a 7-1 vote Monday.
Over three years, Norris said the gas tax would increase 6 cents a gallon and the diesel tax would jump 10 cents a gallon. Initially, Haslam proposed a 7-cent gas tax increase and 12-cent diesel hike.
Norris said the food tax would decrease to 4 percent from 5 percent under current law.
Madison County Commissioner Larry Sipes says he believes a gas tax increase is unnecessary to meet future road and bridge projects on the state’s list.
In the House, a committee has previously removed fuel tax hikes to rely on sales taxes for road projects.
The county’s resolution committee could decide to bring to the commission a resolution supporting or opposing the tax increase. Â The meeting is open to the public. Â The committee will meet this Wednesday, 1:00, at the county Finance Department office on Hollywood Drive.
