Wyo. Approves 10-Cent Gas Tax Hike

Officials in Wyoming's Department of Transportation identified a $135 million annual funding shortfall that could not be addressed with general funds, and Gov. Mead said he favored the tax hike as a means to create a steady revenue stream for highway and road repairs and construction.

Wyoming Governor Matt Mead signed a 10-cent-per-gallon fuel tax increase into law Feb. 15 that raises the state tax on gas and diesel fuels to 24 cents per gallon, effective July 1.

According to the Casper (Wyoming) Star Tribune, the increase should raise roughly $71 million in the 2014 fiscal year, with $47 million allocated to state highways, $16 million for county roads, and the rest for local roads and state parks.

The increase is the first in Wyoming since 1998, and received support from a coalition of 18 organizations led by the Wyoming Taxpayers Association, and included the mineral, trucking, tourism, and ranching industries, as well as the Wyoming Association of Municipalities and the Wyoming Association of County Commissioners.

Wyoming families can expect to pay an additional $114 per year for fuel on average, according to state estimates.