CENTERVILLE — Appanoose County Supervisor Jody McDanel says reorganization of mental health and the lack of spending for education and roads is going to cost Appanoose County jobs.
"If we lose 25 teachers that's fewer jobs. If we go to reorganization of mental health you're going to lose central points of contact, you're going to lose case management, you're going to lose facilities ... they're going to be somewhere besides here," McDanel said during a legislative coffee in Centerville attended by 25 at Chariton Valley Planning & Development Council office. "So that's more (lost) jobs."
McDanel said school funding has been held to 0 percent growth the last two years and in 2013 growth is proposed at 2 percent. That doesn't keep up with the cost of inflation, he said.
"I thought our governor said he wants to increase jobs in the state of Iowa," McDanel said.
If the state doesn't fund road improvements it means less work for the secondary roads department and fewer jobs, McDanel said. One way to fund road improvements is to pass the gas tax increase, he said.
Both chambers at the state capitol have passed gas tax increases out of subcommittee. The Senate bill increases gas taxes by 10 cents over two years and is expected to collect $220 million; the House bill increases gas taxes by 8 cents over two years and collects up to $176 million.
Rep. Kurt Swaim said supporting the gas tax increase isn't very popular and estimates are it will cost the average family $200 per year. Swaim said he wasn't "married to the gas tax increase" and a better solution to fund infrastructure needed to be found?
"I know that it's overwhelming unpopular," Swaim said about increasing the gas tax. "If somebody has a better idea for us to fix our roads, I'd be more than happy to look at it. But nobody comes up with a better idea. They just refuse to address the problem. And we're just continuing to stick our heads in the sand. It's ridiculous. We've got to do something to our infrastructure."
Swaim's support is contingent upon Appanoose County getting its fair share of the money.
"I've said as long as we get our share of funds, I would support a gas tax increase," Swaim said. "I'm certainly not going to vote for a gas tax if all the money goes to the big cities."
Swaim said the new TIME 21 infrastructure funding formula gives more money to the bigger cities. Smaller counties do better under the old formula, he said.
Sen. Mark Chelgren does not support the gas tax increase. Chelgren said in general he's against raising taxes.
"Why would we raise taxes on Iowans when ... our budget is doing so well that we can spend the money that we need to," Chelgren said, noting the federal government spent $866 billion in infrastructure, some of which was spent in Iowa.
The main problem in Appanoose County, Chelgren said, is not all vehicles are taxed, meaning a smaller percentage of vehicle owners are taxed, resulting in less money to cover costs.
"And then expect that to be enough to cover your schools and your roads and we just know it's not and mental health," Chelgren said,
Get rid of taxation exceptions for government entities, non-profits and farmers, Chelgren said. Every tractor is exempted from paying road taxes, Chelgren said.
"When you give all of these exemptions to people and their not contributing to the system but they're still using it, that's a lot of burden for you guys," Chelgren said.
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