At the last I-25 Elected Officials Coalition meeting, the group agreed to support a list of State level I-25 funding options promoted by Weld County Commissioners Barbara Kirkmeyer and Sean Conway.
- TRANS bond funding (such as the proposal initiated by NCLA during the last legislative session).
- A general fund allocation for transportation.
- Legislation to revise SB-228, to extend its provisions longer than its current five-year lifespan. The bill authorizes a transfer of two percent from the general fund to transportation beginning in 2015-2016 for a five-year period. (The first transfer will happen in 2015-2016 and the proceeds will be allocated to the I-70 viaduct.) The group wants legislation to extend SB-228 beyond 2022.
- A new revenue stream tied to TRANS bonds and SB-228 but only with voter approval.
- An infrastructure tax credit concept that Arizona and Utah intend to implement next year.
None of these funding ideas would include any new transportation tax. That is in keeping with the conservative perspective of the Weld County Commissioners. Interestingly, CDOT officials now say that the department could support a TRANS proposal — but only if it comes with a sizable new revenue stream to back up the bonds. Note: Representatives from Loveland and Fort Collins were present at this meeting, but no Larimer County elected official was in attendance.
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