Rep. Clarice Navarro,
R-Pueblo
State Rep. Clarice Navarro, a Republican from Pueblo, rejects the argument that the state doesn’t have enough money to pay for highway needs. The problem is where those dollars are being spent and how priorities are set, she says in an essay circulated to the media.
Navarro cites the governor’s hope to in a statewide system of bike trails. She also cites an audit critical of the Colorado Department of Transportation in August. The for lax oversight of the $1.4 billion in fees collected for roads and bridges. Auditors recommended CDOT put in a process to prioritize which bridges to fund, determine appropriate project budgets and close projects in an appropriate amount of time.
To see the full audit .
Navarro is a member of the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee, as well as the Local Government Committee.
I’m glad to post a similar essay from any Democratic lawmaker as a counterpoint on this issue. The more both sides consider the other side’s point of view, the more likely they are to reach a deal on how to pay for transportation in a way that tries to keep up with the state’s growth.
This is Navarro’s editorial:
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE YES – A BLANK CHECK NO
State Representative Clarice Navarro
The population in Colorado is rapidly increasing, and the quality of our roads is significantly decreasing. It is more important than ever to find strategic ways to improve the quality of local streets, roads and state highways. Colorado s governor has suggested that we need to increase taxes in order to fund these large-scale and critical infrastructure projects. I can assure you that a lack of revenue is not the problem. Coloradans can t afford an increase in taxes and yet we need to prepare and plan to for the volume of people that will continue to use our deteriorating roads.
In 2009, the Colorado State Legislature passed SB 09-108, Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery Act better known as FASTER. The purpose of this bill was to increase revenue by implementing fines and late fees on motor vehicle registration. Sixty percent of the revenue generated from FASTER goes to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and is to be used to support construction and maintenance of transportation projects.
With such a large portion of the FASTER revenue going to CDOT, it is crucial that we take a serious look at what projects are being funded and how the money is being allocated. In August 2015, The Office of State Auditors (OSA) found that CDOT s process for selecting projects to receive FASTER funding was not thorough, integrated, or strategic. It was also reported by OSA that projects receiving funding from FASTER may not have met legislative requirements. It certainly makes you wonder where our tax dollars and transportation fees are going. This is why I won t be supportive of giving the governor the proverbial blank check .
According to the OSA findings, CDOT could not confirm how an additional $6 million of FASTER revenue was allocated or spent, and CDOT did not maintain complete and accurate information on FASTER transit revenue and expenditures. This isn t the accountability that the taxpayer deserves. I have a hard time swallowing the pleas for more money when the state isn t taking care of what it already has.
The OSA audit of CDOT sheds light on a major problem that has a lot of Coloradans feeling a sense of distrust when it comes to the governor and the Colorado State Legislature pushing to raise taxes, and I don t blame them one bit. Instead, the first step that must be taken before we consider raising taxes, is to carefully analyze the State s allocation of existing revenue and ensure appropriate usage.
We also need to find logical and strategic ways of prioritizing projects. In September Gov. Hickenlooper announced a four-year plan to increase bicycle infrastructure. This project will require over $100 million. This effort is being pushed so that Colorado is the best state for bicycling. CDOT has agreed to spend 2.5 percent of the Department s budget on programs for bicycles and pedestrians. For some reason I m doubting that this is the priority of constituents living on county roads across this great state.
As Coloradans, we certainly value being outdoors and having places to walk and bike, however, we are in a time when we are watching our transportation infrastructure crumble. We need to look at what projects should be high priority, and what projects may need to be reconsidered as lower priority. I simply can t see how a $100 million bicycle effort is the priority of those at a standstill on I-70 or I-25. Give me a break.
The risks of turning a blind eye to this, and not holding CDOT accountable for the misuse of FASTER revenue is that roads and bridges will continue to rapidly deteriorate, and one study suggests that traffic delays will increase by 158% which would make a 17 minute commute turn into at least a 44 minute commute. Improving transportation infrastructure is a high priority and raising taxes to accomplish this goal is simply the road most traveled.
Before we board the speeding train to raise taxes and increase the size and scope of government I d appreciate some accountability to those that are paying the bill, and that is the Colorado taxpayer.
