Connecticut has agreed to spend $300,000 to match a federal grant to study the implementation of a mileage tax. It’s one of five states partnering with the federal government on the pilot study.
State Senator Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, is a ranking member of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee. She says she’s surprised Connecticut is committing to spend money to study a millage tax when there’s little public support for such a tax.
“People feel they’ve been taxed enough, that this would be an additional burden to them. They keep raiding the transportation funds, already, to close budget gaps. Who has any trust that this would be used in the way that it’s intended?”
Boucher says privacy is also an issue because the mileage tax would require the state to have a monitoring system on private vehicles.
“For those who say, well, you’ve got GPS and there’s no privacy anywhere there; however, you can turn those things off. You don’t have them on 24 hours a day.”
Jim Cameron, with the mass transportation advocacy group Commuter Action, says a mileage tax is needed in Connecticut, and privacy should not be a concern.
“Google knows where I drive. So I have no problem letting the DMV know how many miles I’ve driven each year.”
State officials are considering a mileage fee because the state’s gas tax is no longer generating enough money to cover the cost of road repairs.
