During a recent government meeting, officials discussed the county's revenue streams for road construction, primarily focusing on the local option gas tax and impact fees. The county currently levies the maximum allowed gas tax of 12 cents per gallon, which remains unchanged regardless of fluctuations in gas prices. In the fiscal year 2022-2023, the county collected approximately $6 million from this tax, but after accounting for a $1 million loan payment for road projects, only $5.2 million is available for new initiatives.

Impact fees, collected from developers based on the impact their projects have on local road networks, are allocated to specific zones within the county. The county is divided into four impact fee zones, with significant growth observed in Zones 1 and 3, which encompass areas like Daytona Beach and Deltona. These fees are crucial for funding road improvements in the respective zones where they are collected.

The meeting also highlighted that the county is concluding payments on a bond obtained 20 years ago for road projects, with impact fee revenues being used to settle these debts. Officials provided a breakdown of available funds for each zone, indicating a total of $23 million budgeted for Zone 1, with plans for nearly $28 million worth of projects slated for fiscal year 2025-2026.

The cost of road construction was another key topic, with estimates ranging from $5 million to $10 million for adding two lanes, depending on various factors such as location and land acquisition needs. The meeting concluded with a review of ongoing road projects across the four zones, emphasizing the county's commitment to addressing capacity issues within its road network.