State House approves county-option fuel tax

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Local voters could impose a countywide, one-cent sales tax on gasoline and diesel fuel under a bill narrowly passed Tuesday in the Oklahoma House. <br><br>Senate Bill 892, by Rep.

Tuesday, April 20th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Local voters could impose a countywide, one-cent sales tax on gasoline and diesel fuel under a bill narrowly passed Tuesday in the Oklahoma House.

Senate Bill 892, by Rep. Paul Roan, would allow for a special election on a proposed fuel tax to be called by the board of county commissioners or through an initiative petition signed by at least 5 percent of registered voters in the county. If approved by a majority of voters, the tax revenue would have to be spent on county roads and bridges.

The bill passed 51-43, but the enacting clause was stricken, a procedural move to send the measure to a conference committee for revisions. A bill requires 51 votes for passage in the House.

Roan, D-Tishomingo, said a pair of bills are still currently alive proposing a statewide vote on a motor fuel tax, but he said it was unclear if any of the revenue from those measures would go to counties.

``Our counties are having the same problem our state is as far as the infrastructure of their county roads and bridges,'' Roan said. ``I just thought it was very important ... to keep this bill alive in case neither one of those bills were able to give them (counties) the help they need.''

Rep. Odilia Dank, R-Oklahoma City, offered an amendment to Roan's bill that would require county commissioners to make public a detailed financial report before any special election could be held. Included in the report would be the salary and benefits of all county employees, roads needing repair, funds currently available, the cost to repair the roads and bridges, a repair plan and the revenue collected by the county each year.