Fairhope plans road improvements

Councilman discusses gas tax for city

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FAIRHOPE – The city of Fairhope will receive $100,000 from a statewide fuel tax that will be used for road improvement projects around the municipality.

During discussions on projects on which the money could be used, one city councilman raised the question of a city gasoline tax to pay for more improvements.

Under the Rebuild Alabama Act, cities the revenue from 1 cent of a 3-cent state gasoline tax, city officials said.

Fairhope is expected to receive about $100,000 this year from the city’s share of the tax, Kim Creech, city treasurer, said.

The act requires cities to approve a transportation plan specifying which projects on which the money will be spent, Richard Johnson, public works director, said.

“We just have to make sure we put roads on a list before we spend that money on it,” Johnson said. “So, this is just our annual taking the roads that we paved last year off the list and adding new potential roads on the list. It just is a boilerplate activity. We’ve got to do this on a regular basis. We’re not spending any money yet, but we’re going to.”

The plan listed sections of six streets targeted for resurfacing in the 2021 fiscal year. The streets include parts of Orange, Volanta, Merchon, Prospect, Pecan and Liberty. Almost 11,000 feet of street are listed in the resurfacing plan.

Councilman Corey Martin said the city could improve more streets if the Fairhope had its own fuel tax. “There’s more money out there. We just have to do it,” Martin said.

He said most other cities in Baldwin County tax gasoline and diesel fuel.

“I think we’re the only city that’s not pulling from that money so that we can have money to do those roads, in my opinion,” Martin said. “In my heart, I think we should go get those monies so we’re able to do those roads that Mr. Richard is talking about.”

Creech said Perdido Beach and Fairhope are the only municipalities in Baldwin County that do not have a separate fuel tax. Creech said Daphne has a 2-cent per gallon tax that brings in about $200,000 a year.