Chattanooga Times Free Press (GA): Opinion – Heavier trucks are a bad deal for Dade County, Georgia

“Think about the impact here locally. We already see lots of trucks coming off the interstates and using state roads like 136 going over Lookout Mountain. In Trenton, we have an industrial park where big trucks must use local roads to access the facilities. Often, we see trucks breaking off the shoulders of streets because of their heavy weight. It’s city and county taxpayers — not the owners of these trucks — who’ll foot the bill for additional repairs to roads and bridges. Given that counties maintain over 75% of the roads in the state, this legislation would hit rural counties particularly hard because they have to cover just as much geography but with a smaller tax base than more densely populated counties. This places an unfunded mandate on local taxpayers, requiring counties to raise taxes or divert money from other important programs.”

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