Scott Keyser bristles at potential ODOT taxes, decides to take stand for audit and accountability

Molalla Mayor Scott Keyser is mad as hell, and he doesn’t want to take it anymore. And he doesn’t want the citizens of Molalla to have to take it, either.

Recent news that the Oregon Department of Transportation is looking for substantial increases in revenue through a potential series of new taxes – increases in gas tax, increases tied to inflation, a tax on tire sales, new car sales, second car sales, car registration fees, car title fees, and several more – has pushed the Molalla mayor over the edge.

“Last week, the county announced a stance on these new ODOT ‘bailouts,’ I call them, and I just felt like someone had to take a stand,” Keyser said. “And not all that money would go to paving roads and fixing bridges.”

Keyser’s frustration is exacerbated by a lack of work done on Hwy. 211/Main Street through the city’s heart, a road that is overseen by ODOT and hasn’t been paved in more than 20 years.

Keyser wonders where all the money ODOT does receive is going and suggested that it was time for one of the state’s largest agencies to undergo a full and incisive audit. And to do so regularly.

“I talked with ODOT, and their response was ‘Well, we gave you a roundabout,’” Keyser said. “Well, that roundabout cost the city $2.5 million and a tort claim. And honestly, as fiscally conservative as our Clackamas County Commissioners are supposed to be, it’s odd that they aren’t calling for an audit of ODOT, either. But they support ODOT in this.”

Keyser has become so frustrated with the whole process that he came before the Molalla City Council at its April 23 meeting to ask them to support a letter he was hoping to send out to ODOT, the county and other elected officials.

“I just felt it was time to take a stand and get the council on board,” he said. “It’s time to make a statement and take a stand – no more taxes until you figure out where your money is going. ODOT just announced a $30 million (project) for safer sidewalks, but ODOT’s core mission should be building and maintaining roads, highways and bridges.”

The letter that Keyser and the council voted to approve reads, in part:

“The current tax proposal under consideration extends well beyond ODOT’s core mission of maintaining roads, highways, and bridges. It includes provisions for rail initiatives and environmental studies unrelated to immediate transportation infrastructure needs. Further, the proposal reintroduces sales taxes on new vehicles and tires – mechanisms that Oregon voters have consistently and clearly rejected.

We also strongly oppose additional taxes on the trucking industry, which already shoulders a disproportionate share of transportation funding, raising constitutional equity concerns.

The residents of Molalla are already facing significant cost-of-living pressures, including rising utility rates approved at the state level. Asking them to bear additional tax burdens without clear, demonstrable improvements in infrastructure investment – particularly in underserved communities like ours – is unacceptable.

ODOT must first demonstrate responsible stewardship of existing resources. We urge the legislature to require a full financial and operational audit of the agency prior to any consideration of new funding. Until such accountability measures are in place, we strongly encourage you to oppose all proposed transportation-related tax increases.”

Keyser went so far as to say that he thought ODOT’s top officials should be elected, rather than appointed, noting that there seems to be no accountability within the current system, and again reiterated his desire to see the organization undergo a thorough audit.

“Every city in this state has to go through an audit each year, so I don’t see why ODOT can’t be audited regularly to see where all that money goes,” Keyser said. “That would provide some accountability that is currently nonexistent. People should get to see where the money goes.”

Keyser said that locally, Molalla City Council is currently looking at some sort of maintenance fee so it can start investing in its roads, but a pile of new ODOT-focused taxes makes that task even harder.

“I can’t present something like that (maintenance fee) to the voters with ODOT bringing this to the table,” Keyser said. “I can’t torture the voters that way. This affects me just like it affects my constituents – currently, the (Clackamas County) commissioners support the taxes and have not talked to us about how we feel about it.

“I’ve just had enough. It’s time for smart (ODOT) spending and audits to happen,” Keyser added.