JPs set to debate regional-mobility-authority participation
Posted on Thursday, February 14, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/58790/
WASHINGTON COUNTY — Creating the Northwest Arkansas Regional Mobility Authority awaits only Washington County Quorum Court approval.
The mobility authority would pursue local funding for the area’s transportation projects that are not funded by other sources. The Quorum Court will discuss whether to join the authority at its meeting at 7 p. m. today at the Washington County Courthouse, 280 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville.
The authority was made possible by an act signed into law in March that gave local governments the power to fund transportation projects through voter-approved sales taxes or toll roads. On Jan. 24, the Benton County Quorum Court became the first body to approve the mobility-authority agreement. If the Washington County court approves the agreement, it would create the authority.
The Northwest Arkansas Council, a nonprofit organization comprising business and civic officials throughout the region, offered the idea to the Quorum Court in October. The group said some local highway projects will never come to fruition if the area waits for money from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.
On Jan. 28, the Washington County Services Committee forwarded to the full court an agreement to participate in the authority.
Committee members who voted to forward the agreement to the Quorum Court were Justices of the Peace David Daniel and Ken Kieklak. Committee chairman Butch Pond did not vote.
“ I’ve got questions about it, but I don’t really have any problems with it, ” Pond said. “ I don’t really think it’s going to hurt us as far as receiving state funds. ”
JP H. L. Goodwin Jr. abstained, saying he needed more time to study the agreement.
JP Jack Norton, vice chairman of the County Services Committee, was absent from the meeting.
“ I’ll probably support joining, as long as it’s a possibility that we could get some toll roads somewhere in northwest Arkansas, ” Norton said. “ It’ll almost have to be financed with tolls. I don’t think it’d be possible to pass some kind of tax to fund it. ” Planned projects
Mike Malone, executive director of the Northwest Arkansas Council, said regional highway needs identified by the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission include an east-west bypass to the north of Springdale, an expanded Interstate 540, a beltway through the west side of the two counties and a bypass around Bella Vista.
Norton, who represents District 10 in the western part of the county, said a bypass around Fayetteville and Springdale would bring the highway closer to the west side of the county, “ which would make it easier for us to get out and hit 540 and go south and north, either one. ”
Pond, who represents District 9 on the east side of the county, said there may be concerns from constituents about having a bypass on the west side of I-540.
“ Here, we are thinking about having two bypasses on the west side of a metropolitan area, ” he said. “ People on the east side will have a problem getting access to it until they go way up north. They may be a little hesitant about voting for it. ”
He said motorists experience long lines of traffic on Arkansas Highway 16 and Arkansas HIghway 45, east of Fayetteville.
“ They’re going to be wondering why we’re not looking at something to do about that, ” Pond said. Bigger pie
The Northwest Arkansas Council began looking at the regional transportation challenges about two years ago, said Scott Van Laningham, council vice president. He is also the executive director and chief operating officer of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport.
He said the council looked at what other states were doing to meet their needs. What officials kept hearing is not to wait for the federal government to pay for needs, he said.
It became clear that there was going to have to be a regional approach to filling those funding gaps, he said. A regional mobility authority would provide local control for projects, he said.
Malone said the region could need about $ 2 billion worth of highway work over the next 20 years.
Van Laningham said it isn’t that the region needs a bigger portion of existing funding.
“ We can fight over the slice of the pie, ” he said. “ The problem is the size of the pie isn’t big enough. The real solution is to try to make the pie bigger. ”
State revenues for highway projects are largely affected by federal and state gas taxes, Van Laningham noted. Federal gas taxes are 18. 4 cents per gallon, while state gas taxes are 21. 5 cents. The last increase for the federal gas tax was in 1993, when it rose from about 14 cents. The last state increase was in 1999, when the tax rose from 18. 6 cents. First of its kind
The regional mobility authority would be the first of its kind in the state if the Washington County Quorum Court signs on to it.
That does not mean other regions do not support the concept.
“ We hear central Arkansas is interested, ” Malone said. “ Fort Smith is interested and supported the legislative changes. ”
The authority would comprise mayors from first-class cities and county judges, or their appointed representatives, and the voters would be the ultimate decision makers concerning the funding sources.
Both Van Laningham and Malone stressed that traditional funding sources — the state and federal governments — would still be in place.
Van Laningham said the regional mobility authority would be subject to public scrutiny by having to comply with the Freedom of Information Act. Any major project that comes from the authority has to go to a vote of the people.
He and Malone said the highway department supports regional mobility authorities.
“ The highway department sees this as a way to complement what they do, ” Malone said.