Update on NC Mobility Fund 5.26.10
The Governor has been working hard on the Mobility Fund. She kicked off the week Monday by hosting a press conference with mayors to encourage the House to include the Fund in their budget. She had a sit down with key House members yesterday and they were able to reach agreement. Word is spreading that the Mobility Fund will be included in the House budget. It will receive $22 million of the funds currently transferred from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund, GAP funds the NCDOT will not spend this year, and allow NC DOT to start their prioritization process. There will not be any of the proposed DMV fee increases. The first project will be the Yadkin River Bridge. I am hearing there will not be any additional funds or projects until NC DOT has finished their prioritization process and receives the blessing of the General Assembly.
Thank you for your resolutions in support of the Fund, your comments to the House budget website, and your calls to delegation members. Keep them coming!!! As soon as there is ink on a page to create the Fund I will alert you. In the meantime, please call your House delegation and thank them for recognizing the importance of creating the Mobility Fund this year. We want to keep talking to the members about the importance of the Fund to ensure it does not hit any snags between now and the final vote in the House.
After the House vote next week we are only half way there. After the House passes their version of the budget the work of the conference committee begins. The conference committee is charged with ironing out differences between the House and Senate budgets. Since the Senate did not include the Fund in their version of the budget we will have to encourage the Senate to agree with the House on this provision.
Stay tuned for updates.
