Faced with a multibillion-dollar shortfall for highways, a North Carolina panel, the 21st Century Transportation Committee, started discussions Aug. 21 to find a solution for how to pay for road and bridge construction and maintenance.
The projected construction shortage over the next 22 years is $64 billion. Chairman Brad Wilson said all tax options are being considered to alleviate it.
"Sticking our head in the sand under the banner of ‘No new taxes' or ‘No new fees' is, I think, both irresponsible and a formula for failure," Wilson said after the meeting.