Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/221076
Industry Beat Transportation Funding a Winning Issue in Nov. 5 Elections Voter support of infrastructure has increased over the past decade. On Nov. 5, voters across the nation again confirmed the high value they place on transportation infrastructure improvements by approving 91 percent of ballot measures to increase or extend funding for highways, bridges and transit, and electing two transportation advocates for governor. The total value of the approved measures was nearly $240 million – approved, on average, with 67 percent of the vote. Transportation investment advocates also won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. Of the 21 measures, one was statewide and 20 were local. Four of the five bond initiatives were approved by voters. Twelve ballot measures were for increasing, extending or renewing a sales tax for transportation purposes, and other measures addressed property taxes, a card room tax, and a transaction and use tax. In Maine's statewide initiative, 72 percent of voters supported a $100 million transportation bond. It will finance $76 million for highway improvements, $27 million for bridges, $24 million for ports and rail, and $5 million for local governments. This bond will also leverage an additional $154 million from federal and state funds. Arizona voters considered several bond measures. In Mesa, voters approved Question 2, which will authorize $79 million in new general obligation bonds to pay for streets and highway improvement projects. Fountain Hills voters approved $8.2 million in general obligation bonds to also fund new road improvements. In Virginia, residents of Loudon County passed a $3.18 million bond to fund public road projects. In California, four cities in Marin County – Corte Madera, Larkspur, San Rafael, and San Anselmo – successfully passed sales tax increase ballot measures to fund transportation and other general services. Most notably, San Rafael's Measure E – a proposal to extend the city's onehalf cent sales tax for 20 years while also implementing a .25 percent increase – will raise the city's sales tax to 9.25 percent, making it the highest sales tax rate in the U.S. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, voters approved – with 62 percent support – a tax extension proposal to renew a one-cent local option sales tax to fund infrastructure projects for a 10-year period. This measure will use 100 percent of the new revenues to fund street maintenance, repair, construction and reconstruction projects. When compared to the results from the last 10 years, the 2013 elections prove that the public's support for state and local transportation investment initiatives have grown stronger. Wacker Neuson Launches Skid-Steers and Track Loaders for North American Market Wacker Neuson unveiled a new skid steer line to its dealers at their annual meeting held Oct. 1-3, 2013, in Menomonee Falls, Wis. "Wacker Neuson decided for its own development in order to control the design, the manufacturing, the quality, and the cost, which will benefit us all," said Christopher Barnard, president and CEO. "We are confident that these new models will exemplify the quality and durability that the industry associates with the Wacker Neuson brand." The design of the SSL models will be done jointly between Wacker Neuson's facility in Hoersching, Austria, and Menomonee Falls, Wis. The new models will launch at CONEXPO, March 4-8, 2014, in Las Vegas with two skid steer and two track loaders offered in a variety of packages and price ranges to fit the North American market. Ryan Ouye, general manager, Service Rentals and Supply, Maui, Hawaii, won a drawing for the first machine off the production line. Pictured from left to right: William Wright, project leader; Johannes Schulze Vohren, vice president and managing director; Todd Christifulli, national sales manager, and Christopher Barnard, president and CEO, both from Wacker Neuson Corporation USA; and Martin Lehner, CTO for Wacker Neuson SE, Munich Germany. (continued on page 16) 14 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | December 2013