NEED MORE INCOME for ROADS 



THE COST^OFTHE JOB 



...AND 

 THE REVENUE 



^ ti*< cos* 



ILLINOIS motorists, including farm- 

 ers, are being bombarded with prop- 

 aganda from special interest groups 

 who are against the proposed two- 

 cent increase in the state motor fuel 

 ; tax. The main reason given by the 

 i opposition is that the state has enough 

 money to take care of the roads. This 

 is not true. 



Surveys made by impartial engineers 

 and studies by the Illinois Highway 

 and Traffic Problems Commission show 

 that present revenues are far below 

 the needs. Earl C. Smith, former pres- 

 ident of the Illinois Agricultural As- 

 sociation, is a member of the Commis- 

 sion. 



The Commission reports that an 

 engineering survey shows it would take 

 nearly seven billion dollars- over a 

 period of 20 years to put Illinois high- 

 ways, bridges and streets in first class 

 condition. 



This would mean spending 344 mil- 

 lion dollars a year for 20 years. 



Road income from all sources at 

 present amounts to an estimated 116 

 million dollars a year. 



By increasing the state motor fuel 

 tax from three to five cents and increas- 

 ing license fees, an additional 44 mil- 



8 



Estimate Cost af Rebuilding Our Illinois Roads 

 At 344 Million Dollars Per Year For 20 Years. 

 Even With Proposed Increase In State Motor Fuel 

 Tax, Income Will Be Far Below Minimum Needs 

 According To Engineering Survey. 



lion dollars per year income could 

 be secured. This would still be short 

 of the needs estimated by the engineer- 

 ing survey, but the Commission be- 

 lieves that it would at least put Illinois 

 roads in serviceable condition. 



The Illinois Agricultural Association 

 is backing these increases recommended 

 by the Commission provided township 

 roads get 12.5 per cent of the net re- 

 ceipts from proposed five-cent gasoline 

 tax, or an estimated IOV2 m'H'on dol- 

 lars a year. 



The lAA believes that the state 

 should contribute to the cost of build- 

 ing and maintaining local township 

 and road district roads. The entire 

 cost of these roads should not be borne 

 by property taxes. 



The Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion also believes that the highway 

 users should pay in large part the cost 

 of construction, repairing and main- 

 taining our highway system. 



The revenues must come either from 

 highway user taxes, such as license 

 and gasoline taxes, or from other taxes. 

 It seems only fair that the highway 

 users carry a very substantial portion 

 of this cost. 



Rural property with only about one- 

 fourth of the total assessed valuation 

 of the state is now levying for road 

 purposes an amount which is almost 

 equal to the total amounts levied by 

 the counties and cities for roads and 

 city streets. 



The motor fuel tax rate in Illinois 

 has been three cents a gallon since 

 1929. Only one state, Missouri, has 

 a lower rate. Forty-three states have a 

 higher rate. 



Road building dollars are now buy- 

 ing only about half as much as in 1941 

 because of the increases in costs. In- 

 come from the present three-cent gaso- 

 line tax has increased only 10 per cent 

 as the result of postwar increases in 

 fuel consurription. 



The proposed increases are fair for 

 the average motorist. Assuming that 

 the motorist drives 7,500 miles a year 

 and gets 15 miles to the gallon, he will 

 have used 500 gallons of gasoline. The 



additional two-cent tax per gallon will 

 cost $10. The additional license fee 

 will cost $1.50, or a total of some 

 $11.50 pef year. This would be less 

 than a $1 per month and certainly not 

 too much to pay for the rebuilding of 

 Illinois' highway system. 



With respect to many of the town- 

 ship roads and some of the county 

 roads, a substantial mileage never has 

 been adequately improved. 



The engineering survey indicated 

 that it would take more than 70 mil- 

 lion dollars a year over a period of 

 20 years, or one and one-half billion 

 dollars, to put the local rural road 

 system in first class condition. Some 

 64 per cent, or 56,160 miles of the 

 rural roads of the state are deficient. 



Local township roads serve all the 

 interests of the state and not merely 

 farm people. The consumer of dairy 

 products, livestock or grain is as inter- 

 ested in fast and economical transpor- 

 tation of these products as the farmer. 



The public generally, and not merely 

 farmers, are interested in roads which 



PROPOSED ALLOCATION 

 OF 5^ GAS TAX 



i for 1 for 



CITY COUNTY 



STREETS HIGHWAYS 



If 



STATE 



HIGHWAYS 



TOWNSHIP 



ROADS 



L A. A. RECORD 



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