Pasco MPO board asks staff to draft letter urging review of Davis‑Bacon Act impacts on costs
Summary
Following discussion of FDOT's SIS unfunded-needs presentation, the MPO board voted to have staff draft a letter to FDOT, USDOT and elected delegation asking them to review the Davis‑Bacon Act's cost and paperwork impacts and explore potential savings.
Commissioner Marie Mariano moved and a board member seconded a motion on Oct. 9 directing MPO staff to prepare a draft letter asking FDOT, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the county's delegation to examine how the Davis‑Bacon Act affects project costs and administrative burden.
"I would like to have us put a letter out saying, please look into what the savings could be on Davis Bacon Act," Commissioner Mariano said during discussion, noting concerns raised at recent conferences that Davis‑Bacon paperwork and compliance can increase project costs and delay projects. She and other board members said they believe the law increases administrative burdens on federally funded projects and requested outreach to state and federal officials.
A second was recorded; the board approved the staff-drafting motion by voice vote and directed the chairman to sign the resulting letter.
Why it matters: The Davis‑Bacon Act (a federal statute setting prevailing-wage requirements on certain federally funded construction projects) can affect the cost and administration of projects that use federal dollars. The board's request asks federal and state decision-makers to evaluate whether procedural changes could reduce cost or delay for local projects.
The transcript shows the board authorized staff to draft and distribute the letter; the text of the letter itself and any external responses were not part of the Oct. 9 meeting record.
