Funding

Current Funding Sources

Curry County's transportation revenue is primarily generated by the Secure Rural Schools Act, the Surface Transportation Block Grant, and state revenue from the state fuel tax.

• Secure Rural Schools Act
  This is a federal source that provides funds to rural counties nationwide that had traditionally relied on timber sales from national forests. Historically, 75% of the funds have been used for roads and 25% for schools. The 2000 Act expired in 2006 and subsequent legislation renewals have reduced spending levels for the program.
• Surface Transportation Block Grant
  This is a flexible federal source that is administered by the state and can be used for County projects to preserve and improve the conditions and performance of any Federal-aid highway, bridge, or tunnel on any public road; pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure; and transit capital projects. The County can either apply 100% of these funds toward projects that comply with federal regulations or exchange the funds with the state and apply 90% toward projects that do not have federal constraints.
• State Fuel Tax
  State fuel taxes are primarily generated from state gas tax, taxes on heavy trucks, and vehicle licensing and registration fees. State fuel tax revenues must be spent within the highway right-of-way, which includes roads, bike facilities, and walkways. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) distributes the state fuel tax revenues to cities and counties statewide based on population formulas.

Funding Forecast

Based on the limited revenue generated by the historical sources referenced above - and in comparison to the County's funding needs to primarily maintain its current roadway network - the County will need to identify additional funding sources in order to implement potential transportation investments that will be identified in the TSP Update (later in this project). Additional funding mechanisms are available at the local, state, and federal level that the County can consider pursuing.