While I was looking at Periwinkle Creek near Queen Avenue and Geary Street Monday afternoon, the Albany City Council heard of the tentative schedule for starting a new street maintenance fee and possibly a local gas tax as well.
In the May 15 primary, Albany voters will be asked to approve a city gas tax of 5 cents per gallon. But two councilmen say the idea of a local tax on motor fuel is either wrong or premature.
The city council is working on a plan for a 5-cent/gallon local gas tax that would have motorists pay an estimated million-plus dollars a year more at Albany stations than they otherwise would. The money would go for street repairs, and voters are to get their say in May.
Albany seems to be headed for an election on a local fuel tax of 5 cents a gallon this November, judging by the city council’s discussion Monday. The tax might raise about $1.25 million a year for street repairs.
The Albany City Council seems open to the idea of putting a local gas tax before the voters this fall. That’s the impression I got after catching the tail end of a council work session on Monday.
A local gas tax for Albany? You won’t have to worry about this for a while. The city council is making no move to put it on the ballot in the Nov. 8 general election. And whether it will try in 2017 is anybody’s guess.
Poll says an Albany gas tax might pass
If it’s necessary to raise more money for street repairs, pollsters report that voters in the city prefer a local gas tax to a monthly street maintenance fee on their water bills.
Tags: Albany council, Albany gas tax, DHM Research, local gas tax, opinion poll, opinion research, street maintenance fee