A task force appointed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in 2008 to develop a new transportation funding strategy for Kansas has recommended loosening the rules for issuing highway bonds.
The Transportation-Leveraging Investments in Kansas Task Force, known as T-LINK, said the Kansas Department of Transportation should be allowed to manage its schedule of debt issues, rather than requiring legislative approval for debt sales. Bonding authority would be capped at 18% of adjusted total agency revenue.
The task force also recommended that funding options for local governments be enhanced through combining appropriate elements of state laws regulating sales tax and revenue, or STAR, bonds; transportation development districts, and tax increment financing into a single piece of legislation.
The state needs to spend more than $1 billion a year for the next 10 years on its transportation infrastructure, the task force said, including $415 million a year on maintenance, $340 million for highway capacity and economic development improvements, and $235 million for local roads. Annual spending in the most recent 10-year transportation program averaged $719 million.
Sebelius has asked KDOT and the Legislature to enact the task force’s recommendations, which she said would prepare the state for future transportation opportunities.
“Even though the federal stimulus bill has money set aside for states, Kansas should not build a foundation with temporary funds,” the governor said. “We must ensure a solid and sustainable approach to move forward within our means.
“The steps we take now will not cost taxpayers additional money, but will ensure that as the economy improves we have a plan in place to take advantage of every opportunity.”
