The Carolina Journal, a right-leaning publication based in Raleigh, covered a recent forum hosted by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. North Carolina’s top legislative leaders – House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger – attended the forum and spoke at the event.

Berger and Moore discussed how gas tax revenues have not been able to keep up with population growth and more fuel-efficient vehicles and said that solving this issue is something Democrats and Republicans agree on. At the moment, money is being taken from the General Fund and being sent to the Highway Fund and Highway Trust fund to fill the gaps, but they said legislative leaders wanted to find more stable funding sources.

In comments to Carolina Journal Randy Brechbiel, a spokesman for Berger, said N.C. will need to “modernize” the funding formula by broadening what kinds of purchases provide taxes for transportation, to include not just gasoline but other transportation-related sales.

“This new funding model is meant to modernize NCDOT’s revenue sources,” said Brechbiel. “The department is being pinched by declining gas tax revenue. Allowing for the transfer of sales tax revenue — from transportation-related purchases — will alleviate some of that financial stress, and comes with no additional cost to the taxpayer. Lawmakers will continue studying how to keep transportation funding in line with current consumer trends and government subsidies.”

It is encouraging to see the recognition of the importance of the issue by North Carolina’s top legislative leaders. We remain hopeful that the General Assembly will continue the forward-looking efforts to modernize North Carolina’s transportation revenues.