NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam said Monday he plans to rev up his effort and press state lawmakers for additional transportation funding next year, although the Republican continues to resist acknowledging it would likely require a fuel tax increase.
“What we’ve been doing so far is saying what are the needs, what will that cost us and let’s figure out different ways that we might pay for that,” Haslam told reporters. “And now it’s time to begin having those conversations again with legislators.”
He added “there’s no way on something this hard and big you do it without support of the legislators, so we’re going to begin those conversations.”
Haslam and Transportation Commissioner John Schroer estimate Tennessee has a $6 billion backlog on previously approved projects with billions of dollars more in various transportation needs that have yet to get off the drawing board and be placed on an already very long line for inclusion.
Addressing the Nashville Rotary Club, Haslam said the state must devise a plan that helps both urban communities like Chattanooga as well as the large swath of rural counties elsewhere across Tennessee.