Local county officials continue to push back against any effort on the state level to transfer maintenance of roads to them. Opposition to any transfer of the “lettered roads” to local governments is reflected in unbending comments by Randolph County Commissioner Wayne Wilcox in northeast Missouri.
Wilcox says handing over those roadways to counties would financially endanger the jurisdictions.
Missouri lawmakers are at a loss on how to get more money for state roads after voters rejected a gas tax hike in November. Retiring State Representative Bill Reiboldt of Neosho, who was a member of a transportation task force and chaired the House Transportation Committee, says there’s no easy answer.
Reiboldt says the state will need to find an alternative to the motor fuel tax to finance road upkeep in the future. He said the eventual dominance of electric vehicles would make the fuel tax obsolete.
