From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — Price Shop. That’s the advice from AAA’s Clay Ingram, if the 10 cent sales tax increase bill passes.
Ingram said while AAA isn’t taking a stance on the politics of the gas tax, they do recognize Alabama roads are in need of repair. He said the transportation fund has been lacking for years, and the issue should have been addressed a long time ago.
“Historically, AAA has opposed any kind of gas tax, but we are thrilled that the state and the state legislators are trying to find a way to get it done,” Ingram said. “Nobody likes gas taxes, but there’s got to be some way to do it and obviously they (legislators) feel like this is the best way to get it done.
Under Governor Kay Ivey’s plan, the tax is expected to raise about $320 million per year in additional revenue when fully implemented. The state would retain 60 percent of the revenue, with counties receiving 25 percent and cities splitting about 8 percent. An additional 7 percent would be used for improvements to Mobile Bay to improve access to the Alabama State Docks.
Ingram said AAA would rather see all of the revenue go toward highway maintenance and repair rather than a portion of it go to improvements to the docks.
Assuming this gets passed, Ingram said there are two things to consider. First, he believes price shopping is important. Second, he pointed out bad roads are costing drivers.
“Be aware of gas prices in your area,” he said. “Make a conscious effort to buy the cheapest gas. Motorists, in general, are doing a terrible job at price shopping.”
Ingram believes if drivers search for lower prices, gas stations will offer more competitive pricing.
“When I was growing up, if there was one station selling gas for 99 cents and another selling gas for 98 cents, everybody bought at the 98 cents store, even if it was easier to get to the other store,” he said. “There would be a line and that’s what kept our prices so low for so long.”
He also said if people look at prices in their area, they will find they could save the 6-cent difference by going a few miles further up the road. The current average price of a gallon of regular gas in Jefferson County is $2.26. But in nearby Blount County, the average is $2.31 per gallon. Therefore, someone who lives in Blount County and works in Jefferson County could save 5 cents per gallon just by filling up in Jefferson County during their workweek. Ingram said the big price difference isn’t just being seen across county lines, but in some cases from one side of town to the other.
When it comes to bad roads costing drivers, Ingram said money spent on repairing vehicles could be saved if roadways were smoother. A recent report from TRIP, a national transportation safety group, said the average Birmingham driver is paying $1,846 each year for upkeep and repairs on their vehicle, due to poor road conditions. If these roadways were fixed, Ingram said he believes that cost would decrease to somewhere near the national average of $325 per year.
“Everybody wants to drive on nice clean roads, but nobody wants to pay for it,” Ingram said. “The money’s got to come from somewhere.”
While stressing that AAA is not taking sides on the gas tax bill, Ingram said he believes the tax will offer a way for out-of-state drivers to help with the upkeep of Alabama roadways.
The gas tax bill is now in the hands of the Senate after passing a Senate committee Monday. There could be a final vote by Tuesday.