KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Starting Friday, Oct. 1, people will need to pay a little more when they fill up the gas tank.
Missouri’s incremental fuel tax will increase from 17 cents per gallon of gas to 19.5. Under the plan, the gas tax will increase 2.5 cents per gallon for the next five years, and when fully implemented, it will generate another $460 million yearly for work on roads and bridges.
“There’s so many needs out there and just not enough funding to take care of it,” said Missouri Department of Transportation’s district engineer Chris Redline.
MoDOT is about $800 million behind what is needed for work each year, according to Rep. Becky Ruth. The department hopes additional tax revenue will finally go toward some of its “Tier One Unfunded Projects.”
“Until we really get down to the nuts and bolts of how much will be available, I really can’t tell you what is going to go into the construction program,” Redline said.
High on the priority list for Kansas City is improving Interstate 70 — the corridor from downtown to Interstate 435. But most of the generated money will be put to reconstructing existing roads first.
“We’ll get our funding targets and see what kind of capacity is even available,” Redline said.
Ruth estimates it will be about an additional dollar of spending a month for an average driver in Missouri. But anyone who wishes to opt-out can submit a refund claim form through the Missouri Department of Revenue’s website.
To qualify, an individual's vehicle must weigh less than 26,000 pounds, they must have records of each purchase, a claim must be filed by the customer who purchased the fuel, and claims must be submitted on or after July 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2022.
The following information will be required when submitting a refund claim:
- Vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle into which the motor fuel was delivered
- Date of sale
- Name and address of purchaser
- Name and address of seller
- Number of gallons purchased
- Number of gallons purchased and charged Missouri fuel tax, as a separate item
