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Knox County highway engineer weighs in on “lock box” amendment

Voters in Knox County and across the state will soon decide on a state constitutional amendment restricting using transportation money for funding other parts of government.Counties get a share of the money the state gets from the motor fuel tax for road construction and maintenance.

However, the state’s ongoing budget woes means local governments aren’t getting their full share.

Duane Ratterman, who heads the county’s highway department, says the amendment would assure local governments they get the money meant for them.

“It’s not going to fix our revenue issues as far as transportation in Illinois but without it the future is very uncertain, as far as the funding that’s there now, whether or not it’ll be used for transportation issues or not,” Ratterman says.

Ratterman says the county doesn’t have the money it needs to construct or rehabilitate local roads.

The state raided the Road Fund and other transportation special funds to shore up the budget last March after the temporary income tax increase expired.

The Road Fund includes the gas tax, car registration and driver’s license revenue.

Critics of the amendment say it ties up money that could resolve the state’s budget crisis.

They also say it benefits labor unions, which Republican Governor Bruce Rauner has argued drives up construction project costs for local governments.

The amendment must get 60 percent of yes votes on the amendment or a majority of voters in the overall election to become effective.

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