Opinion & Editorial

Letter to the Editor: Who breaks the roads –and who pays for them?

To The Editor: 

Nationwide user fees (fuel tax & etc.) cover about 50% of road construction and maintenance costs. The balance is from general funds, income tax, property tax, and etc. User fees historically covered more of the costs than is the case today. Oregon is on the low end of pay for use funding.

The city’s proposal for a Transportation Utility Fee is inequitable, especially for those who do not own or operate heavy motor vehicles. User fees, fuel tax, parking fees, registration fees based on weight, and etc. would be more equitable.

Many homeowners have already spent thousands of dollars for sidewalks in order to dedicate roadways to heavy motor vehicle traffic and storage; homeowners are also bearing the cost of sidewalk maintenance.

Does the city of Creswell know which users cause the greatest damage to the city streets?

Our roads need repair, I hope we can find an equitable way to finance repairs and find ways to reduce maintenance by reducing traffic.

Ed Gunderson, Creswell


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