Leggett Calls for Gas Tax Increase

The Washington Post reports today that newly elected Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has renewed his call for an increase in the state gas tax. While the story didn't make clear Leggett's rationale for supporting the increase, presumably it is primarily because the money would help fund additional transportaton improvements. According to the Post, each penny increase in the gas tax would add an additional $30-35 million to the transportation fund. Roger Berliner and Nancy Floreen also said they would support the increase.

Governor-Elect Martin O'Malley's response was that this is an "interesting proposal" but didn't rush to embrace the idea. Senate President Mike Miller apparently thinks it would be hard to convince the General Assembly to pass it. Both responses from state officials make it all the more interesting that Montgomery officials have taken the political risk of calling for a tax increase where they cannot be sure that they will see any of the benefit and without having the power to make it happen.