City vehicle fleet also would pay Bend gas tax

With an upcoming election on a 5-cent gas tax, many people are wondering if city vehicles will also be required to pay at the pump.

Bend Street and Operations Director David Abbas said Tuesday all vehicles for Bend police, fire, streets, and utilities receive maintenance through his department.

“A portion of that, then, each department budgets (for each two-year biennium) and transfers funds to the Garage Fund for maintenance, for fuel and upkeep of the vehicles,” Abbas said.

“We would be contributing (the new gas tax) as well,” Abbas said. The amount spent on gas for city vehicles depends not just on the tax, but the overall price of gas at it rises or falls.

Every year, the city uses about 200,000 gallons of fuel, with 63,000 gallons of that coming from the Streets and Operations Department’s pocket. If the city vehicles pay the gas tax, it’s going right back into the roads.

“You know, that’s the goal is to turn the streets around,” Abbas said, “and so we’re just looking for the resource and revenue needs to make that happen.”