Keeping Maryland's Transportation Funds on Track: Question 1

By Cara LaMaina, CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

For the last 30 years, all the tolls, fees and fines you may have thought were being used to help maintain the roads may have been spent elsewhere.

“That’s not fair to the residents and voters of Maryland,” said Andrew Feldman, a spokesman for the Committee to Protect Maryland Transportation Fund.

To provide more protection for the Transportation Trust Fund, Question One on the 2014 general election ballot outlines additional provisions safeguarding the money.

Here’s what the question looks like on the ballot.

Question One would amend the process of approving Maryland Constitution to protect the state’s Transportation Trust Fund.

Question 1 - Non-Technical Summary
Constitutional Amendment (Ch. 422 of the 2013 Legislative Session)
Transportation Trust Fund – Use of Funds

(Amending Article III by adding Section 53 to the Maryland Constitution)

Limits the use of Transportation Trust Funds to the payment of principal and interest on transportation bonds and for constructing and maintaining an adequate highway system or any other transportation-related purpose. Also prohibits the transfer of Transportation Trust Funds into the General Fund or a special fund of the State, except for: (1) an allocation or use of highway user revenues for local governments or (2) a transfer of funds to the Maryland Transportation Authority or the Maryland Transportation Authority Fund. Transportation Trust Funds may be used for non-transportation related purposes or transferred to the general fund or a special fund only if the Governor declares a fiscal emergency and the General Assembly approves legislation, by a three-fifths vote of both houses, concurring with the use or transfer of the funds.

See Also: Transportation Lockbox is Too Easy to Open But Still Worth Passing (from Maryland Reporter)

Screenshot from Capital News Service YouTube video.