Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong appeared Monday on WVNN radio in Huntsville to discuss winter weather preparedness and the conversation turned to the seemingly inevitable gas tax.
In the past, Strong he has been outspoken about the inherent unfairness of taxing larger counties and using a significant portion of that revenue to build roads in smaller communities, which is a break from Alabama County Commissioner Association’s position of more money and more money now.
Strong reiterated that position today on “The Dale Jackson Show” and made it clear that his job is to represent the people of Madison County and get them the best deal he can by working with state legislators. In Strong’s mind, that does not mean killing the gas tax. It means fighting for the best deal he can get.
“I have no plans to derail it,” Strong said. “I’m going to advocate for the people I’m elected to advocate for.”
He also made it clear that new gas tax dollars should go to areas where there is economic growth and there are dollars being added to the economy.
“There’s 370,000 people that live in Madison County, and my objective is we’ve brought in new companies,” Strong outlined. “Our biggest thing we’ve got to address is infrastructure. And that’s not just in Huntsville and not just in Madison, but we’ve also got to make sure unincorporated Madison County appeals, and so we keep working. But I just don’t believe in going and taxing and then shoveling it somewhere else. We’ve got today’s technology. Let’s go in here and see that the vast majority of it returns to the people who paid it.”
He added, “[I]f the House of Representatives and the Senate pass a gas tax, is that we do everything we can to ensure that those dollars return to the affected area where the people are paying the taxes.”
The conversation highlights the uncertainty of this debate.
Is there any legislation? No.
How much does the state need? A lot.
How much will the gas tax increase be? No one knows.
Where will it go? Check back in March.
Until these questions are answered, there will be no organizable resistance to the idea of a gas tax. This is by design.
Once a bill drops, the game changes.
Listen:
@TheDaleJackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN
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