Last week, State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Daphne) was removed from the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II (ATRIP-II) Committee by Gov. Kay Ivey and replaced with State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D-Mobile).
That committee focused on funding for local transportation issues, like turn lanes, roundabouts, etc., as it pertained to state roads. The move by Ivey was believed to be a response to Elliott’s outspoken criticism of the now “dead” proposal of a new I-10 Mobile Bay Bridge project financed in part by toll revenue.
During an appearance on Huntsville radio’s WVNN on Monday, Daphne Mayor Dane Haygood reacted to the news and any concerns that further retributive measures could be forthcoming. He also noted that his municipality was an overwhelming “net donor” to the state, particularly regarding the Rebuild Alabama Act’s gas tax increase.
“We certainly hope with being a net donor to this Rebuild Alabama gas tax that we will be the recipient,” Haygood said on “The Jeff Poor Show” during a remote broadcast from Mobile. “That’s how it was sold to us. ‘Hey, we’re going to be able to help your area with road projects given that you’re a strong net donor to the state. That remains to be seen if it comes to fruition.”
Haygood explained how the initial gas tax hike and the toll bridge combined exacerbated a situation where the city of Daphne was already giving more than it was taking from the state of Alabama.
“We’re looking at it from a local perspective,” he said. “State leaders have to look statewide. But you still have to give a nod to where you are generating the revenue from and make sure those are taken care of. I think at the end of the day, that’s the one-two punch. If you want to call the Rebuild Alabama gas tax a body blow, then this toll bridge concept where there is inequity with the rest of the state. We’re already a net donor to the system.”
“And that’s true in several areas,” Haygood continued. “You look at it in schools. You look at it in the form of some of the new internet taxation that is occurring. At the end of the date, you can certainly tolerate being a net donor to the state and making sure we’re taking care of all of our problems. And look, I was a supporter of the Rebuild Alabama gas tax and the state’s concerns. However, I was not a fan of the two local buckets because they created more disparity — the county and the municipal bucket that was there. You know, Daphne is only going to get back $177,000 of the $2.2 million we’re estimated to send away.”
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV and host of “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN in Huntsville.
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