27 www.ortrucking.org Issue 4 | 2024 of transportation taxes,” said OTA President and CEO Jana Jarvis. “By 2025, the trucking industry is expected to have overpaid by half a billion dollars. Trucking companies in Oregon simply cannot sustain paying the highest transportation taxes of any state in the country any longer.” Though the 2017 transportation package was geared more toward individual projects, the discussion in 2025 will focus more on the sustainability and fairness of the transportation system itself. In addition to the overpayment issue, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will need a solution to its own considerable funding troubles. Increased costs of construction, maintenance, and inflation combined with rapidly declining revenue from gas taxes has left the agency on a disastrous trajectory. Even though the actual gas taxes have gone up, the rise of electric and more fuel-efficient vehicles has meant fewer dollars for ODOT and their programs. Last February, ODOT told legislators that it expects a $205 million shortfall for basic operations and maintenance and a nearly $1 billion shortfall to repair roads and increase safety on the roadways. In total, ODOT claims it will need an additional $1.8 billion per year. To resolve these issues, members of the Joint Transportation Committee, the House and Senate revenue committees, legislative leadership, and the Governor’s office have been working during the 2024 interim to develop possible funding solutions, which could potentially include an increase to the gas tax, registration fees, employee payroll taxes, a pay- per-mile program, and more. Jana Jarvis, the OTA Board, and the lobbyists at Oxley & Associates have been working diligently throughout 2024 to inform lawmakers, staff, and agencies about the issues affecting our industry. With the support of our members, we can work with the legislature in 2025 for fairness, equity, and a financially
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