FALMOUTH, Maine — Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage is calling on current Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine Legislature to reduce the gas tax by at least 50 percent and to reduce or eliminate highway tolls until tourism season begins.
The Republican, who is running for governor again, spoke with reporters today about several of his policy proposals.
Maine's gas tax is 30 cents per gallon, and it helps pay for road maintenance. LePage said the drop for a few months would help Maine drivers and help lower the cost of transporting goods and food into Maine.
"Because of our rural location, we must transport most of the food that we eat to fill our stores for our families to have food on the table," LePage said. "The longer distances require more fuel. The USDA has indicated that the inflationary rate for the cost of food in Maine is 13 percent, higher than the national average."
Seventy-seven percent of Maine's gas tax, or about $230 million, goes to the Maine Department of Transportation's highway fund to fix roads and bridges.
"The gas tax generates about $200 million. I'm talking somewhere between $20 to $30 million in the next 90 days," LePage said when asked whether lowering the tax would affect Maine's road conditions.
"I am concerned about our roads, but I'm more concerned about Maine people being able to eat than I am about our roads," he said.
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, has proposed suspending the state's gas tax altogether until the end of the year.
When asked about Rep. Libby's proposal and what LePage is proposing, Mills' press secretary responded with a statement that read, in part: "Rising costs -- whether at the pump, the grocery store, or elsewhere -- are taking a toll on Maine people, and the governor is open to considering fiscally responsible ways the state government can support Maine people through these challenging times. To that end, the governor has proposed giving back half of the state's surplus directly to Maine people, which would result in $750 inflation relief checks to Maine taxpayers."
Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Paul Merrill said reducing the gas tax by 15 cents for the next 90 days would mean approximate losses of $20.8 million for the Maine DOT, $3.5 million for the secretary of state's office, and $2.7 million for the Department of Public Safety. He also said it would take $1.7 million from the Local Road Assistance Program for Maine communities.
Merrill said Maine drivers averaging a total of 15,000 miles per year would only save $22 with LePage's proposal.
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