Renner: Raising gas tax was least objectionable option

Posted on March 27, 2019

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner says doubling the local gas tax to eight cents a gallon was the city’s best option.

“At the end of the day the majority of the council decided this was the least objectionable of all of the bad options in front of us,” Renner told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin. “None of the council had any interest in increasing real estate or sales taxes or raising other fees.”

“One of the options was to do nothing, and I don’t think anyone wanted to do nothing because unfortunately streets don’t pave themselves,” Renner added.

The gas tax goes into effect May 1 and is expected to raise $2.3 million a year to fix roads and sidewalks.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

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