Newsmakers: Transportation Finance with DOT Sec. Mark Gottlieb and Dave Cieslewicz
Two members of the Transportation Finance & Policy Commission — state Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb and former Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz — defended the panel's recommendation to spend $4.8 billion more on transportation programs in the next 10 years. Gottlieb estimated the 10-year shortfall in transportation funding at about $2.8 billion. The commission recommended a 5-cent increase in the 30.9-cent gas tax, a new mileage-based fee of 1.02-cents per mile on vehicles driven between 3,000 and 20,000 miles annually, raising the fee for drivers' licenses issued every 8 years from $24 to $44, raising commercial vehicle registration fees and eliminating the sales tax exemption on the value of trade-in vehicles. The recommendations now go to Gov. Scott Walker, who will announce his 2013-15 budget Feb. 20.