MoDOT Hopes to Keep Its Money

Missouri Department of Transportation officials hope MoDOT won’t suffer the same fate some other state agencies claim has happened when new money comes in. MoDOT officials plan to ask the state legislature to appropriate $1.8 billion to the department in the coming fiscal year, but Transportation Commission Chairman Bill McKenna, a former state senator, warns officials the first question lawmakers will ask is “Where is the Amendment Three money?”. The short answer is: not in this request. That’s because the numbers were put together before the election. Also, proceeds from an end to the diversion of gas tax dollars won’t be realized until starting next summer. MoDOT Finance Director, Pat Goff, points out that out of the $1.8 billion being requested, only about $25 million for multi-modal operations has to be appropriated by lawmakers. Goff doesn’t expect lawmakers to touch that money. Goff acknowledges that other state agencies claim to have had their General Revenue funds reduced by the amount of additional funds the agency might receive, but he does not believe that can happen in this case.