We are now at the conference committee stage of the budget process. This is when the Chambers negotiate the differences between their two budgets. As you know, the House included the Mobility Fund in their budget, but the Senate did not. Below is a list of both the Appropriations co chairs and the transportation conferees. If you have a representative on this list please call them and ask them to include the Mobility Fund in the final budget and two add two of the Governor’s provisions to the Fund – supplemental Powell Bill monies and dedicated Interstate Maintenance funds.
We believe that dedicating 6.5 percent of the Mobility Fund to new additional Powell Bill revenues is critical to its overall support and success. Including the Powell Bill supplement ensures that every community across North Carolina receives some of these new transportation dollars.
We are also asking the conferees to dedicate $30 million dollars of the Mobility Fund to interstate maintenance. According to a June 2nd article in Stateline, “Letting a road deteriorate from excellent condition to fair condition makes it three times as costly to fix.” We need to be smart about investing in our roads at a time when bids are at historical lows. Additionally, having Mobility Funds spent on our interstates will free up equity fund dollars traditionally spent on interstate maintenance to be spent elsewhere in a highway division.
Transportation Conferees:
Senate: Goss, Graham, Jenkins, Shaw, Stein
House: Cole, Martin, Coates, Gill, Heagarty, May, Parfitt, Williams, Dockham
Appropriations Chairs:
Senior Chairman Rep. Michaux
Chairman Rep. Adams
Chairman Rep. M. Alexander
Chairman Rep. Crawford
Chairman Rep. Haire
Chairman Rep. Jeffus
Chairman Rep. Tolson
Chairman Rep. Yongue
Co-Chairman Sen. Charles W. Albertson
Co-Chairman Sen. Linda Garrou
Co-Chairman Sen. A. B Swindell
Co-Chairman Sen. Charlie S. Dannelly
