Proposed N.H. Fuel Tax Would Almost Double Current Tax

A proposed 15-cent fuel tax increase in New Hampshire is starting to sound more like a reality. Rep. David Campbell, D-Nashua, said the House Ways and Means Committee and the Public Works and Highway Committee recommended anticipated revenue from the tax be included in the House budget plan for the next two years, reports The Eagle Tribune (Mass.).

To be sent over to the Senate for review in early April, the fuel tax still needs approval by the full House and the House Finance Committee.

Revenue from the proposed 15-cent increase, 5 cents a gallon each year for three years, would be dedicated to road and bridge work. The state fuel tax is now 19.6 cents per gallon.

Campbell said the tax would raise more than $100 million a year, and despite the opposition of truckers, he says it is the fairest way to share the cost of bridge and highway repairs. According to The Eagle Tribune, Campbell thinks the inclusion of the fuel tax in the state budget improves its chances of adoption.