A. The tax of sixteen cents ($0.16) per gallon of gasoline that is levied by paragraph 1 of subsection A of Section 500.4 of this title, the tax upon compressed natural gas levied by paragraph 3 of subsection A of Section 500.4 of this title, the tax upon liquefied natural gas levied by paragraph 4 of subsection A of Section 500.4 of this title and the tax of two and eight one-hundredths cents ($0.0208) per gallon of gasoline that is levied by subsection C of Section 500.4 of this title, and penalties and interest thereon, collected by the Oklahoma Tax Commission under the levy shall be apportioned and distributed monthly as follows:
1. The first Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) of the levy collected each month shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the State Transportation Fund;
2. One and six hundred twenty-five one-thousandths percent (1.625%) of the levy shall be remitted to the State Treasurer to the credit of the High Priority State Bridge Revolving Fund as created in Section 506 of Title 69 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
3. Sixty-three and seventy-five one-hundredths percent (63.75%) of the levy shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the State Transportation Fund to be apportioned as follows:
4. Twenty-seven percent (27%) of the levy shall be transmitted by the Tax Commission to the various counties of the state, to be apportioned and used as follows:
5. Three and one hundred twenty-five one-thousandths percent (3.125%) of the levy shall be distributed to the various counties of the state based on a formula developed by the Department of Transportation and approved by the Department of Transportation County Advisory Board created pursuant to Section 302.1 of Title 69 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The formula shall be similar to the formula currently used for the distribution of monies in the County Bridge Program funds, but shall also take into consideration the effect of the terrain and traffic volume as related to county road improvement and maintenance costs;
6. Two and two hundred ninety-seven one-thousandths percent (2.297%) of the levy shall be distributed to the various counties of the state for deposit into the County Bridge and Road Improvement Fund of each county based on a formula developed by the Department of Transportation and approved by the Department of Transportation County Advisory Board created pursuant to Section 302.1 of Title 69 of the Oklahoma Statutes to be used for the purposes set forth in the County Bridge and Road Improvement Act. The formula shall be similar to the formula currently used for the distribution of monies in the County Bridge Program funds, but shall also take into consideration the effect of the terrain and traffic volume as related to county road improvement and maintenance costs;
7. One and eight hundred seventy-five one-thousandths percent (1.875%) of the levy shall be transmitted by the Tax Commission to the treasurers of the various incorporated cities and towns of the state in the percentage which the population, as shown by the last Federal Decennial Census or the most recent annual estimate provided by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, bears to the total population of all the incorporated cities and towns in this state. The funds shall be expended for the construction, repair and maintenance of the streets and alleys of the incorporated cities and towns of this state; and
8. Three hundred twenty-eight one-thousandths percent (0.328%) of the levy shall be transmitted by the Tax Commission to the Statewide Circuit Engineering District Revolving Fund as created in Section 687.2 of Title 69 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
B. 1. The funds apportioned or transmitted pursuant to subparagraphs a, b, and c of paragraph 4 of subsection A of this section, subsection B of Section 500.7 of this title, subsection B of Section 704 of this title, Section 706 of this title, and paragraph 2 of subsection D of Section 707.3 of this title shall be sent to the respective county treasurers and deposited in the county highway fund to be used by the county commissioners for the purpose of constructing and maintaining county highways and bridges.
2. The funds received by any county shall not be diverted to any other county of the state, and shall only be expended under the direction and control of the board of county commissioners in the county to which the funds are appropriated. If any part of the funds is diverted for any other purpose, the county commissioners shall be liable on their bond for double the amount of the money so diverted. This paragraph shall not prohibit counties from entering into cooperative agreements pertaining to the maintenance and construction of roads and bridges.
3. Where any county highway has been laid out over a road already constructed in any county by the use of money raised from county bond issues for that purpose, either alone or by the use of federal or state aid, or both, the county commissioners may set aside out of the funds apportioned to that county, as provided in this section, an amount of money equal to the value of any part thereof, of the interest of such county in such highway or bridge, which amount of money shall be considered by the excise board in reducing the levy for the purpose of retiring the bonded indebtedness and interest thereon of the county, and shall be used for investment or deposit in the same manner as provided by law for the disposition of other sinking fund money.
4. In all counties where the county excise board may find it necessary, because of insufficient revenue, to maintain county government out of the general fund, after a levy of ten (10) mills has been made for any fiscal year, the county excise board may appropriate out of any such funds apportioned to the county an amount sufficient to pay the salaries of the county commissioners of the county for the fiscal year.
5. Counties may use funds deposited in the county highway fund for the purpose of matching federal or state funds, provided such funds are available, as necessary to secure assistance in the construction or improvement of the county road system.
C. With regards to the apportionment of the levy as set forth in paragraph 5 of subsection A of this section, paragraph 5 of subsection A of Section 500.7 of this title, and subsection C of Section 707.2 of this title:
1. If any county has an accrued balance of funds which were appropriated to or otherwise accrued in a restricted road maintenance fund, such funds shall be deposited directly to the county highway fund of the county;
2. If any county has an accrued balance of funds which were appropriated to or otherwise accrued in the County Road Improvement Fund, or the County Bridge Improvement Fund, such funds shall, by resolution approved by a majority of the board of county commissioners and filed with the Department of Transportation, be deposited in the county highway fund of the county;
3. If any county has an accrued balance of funds which were appropriated to or otherwise accrued in the County Bridge and Road Improvement Fund, ninety-nine percent (99%) of such funds shall be remitted to the respective county treasurer for deposit in the appropriate County Bridge and Road Improvement Fund to be used for the purpose set forth in the County Bridge and Road Improvement Act. The remaining one percent (1%) of such funds will be remitted to the Statewide Circuit Engineering District Revolving Fund; and
4. If any county has an advanced funding agreement with the Department of Transportation, the Department of Transportation shall notify the Tax Commission as to the amount the county is obligated to pay according to the terms of the advanced funding agreement. The obligated amount shall be transferred each month by the Tax Commission to the Department of Transportation to the credit of the County Bridge and Road Improvement Fund from the funds apportioned to the county pursuant to paragraph 5 of subsection A of this section. A county may elect to increase the monthly amount to be repaid pursuant to the advanced funding agreement from the funds apportioned to the county, but a county shall not be permitted to reduce the amount agreed to pursuant to the advanced funding agreement.
D. The tax levied on gasoline pursuant to Section 500.4A of this title, and the penalties and interest thereon, collected by the Tax Commission under the levy shall be apportioned and distributed on a monthly basis to the State Highway Construction and Maintenance Fund for the purposes authorized by Section 1502 of Title 69 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
Added by Laws 1996, c. 345, § 6, eff. Oct. 1, 1996. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 284, § 1, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 5, § 20, emerg. eff. March 4, 1998; Laws 1998, c. 405, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 340, § 1, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2001, c. 267, § 1, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2002, c. 458, § 4, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2003, c. 472, § 8; Laws 2006, 2nd Ex.Sess., c. 45, § 3, eff. July 1, 2007; Laws 2010, c. 256, § 1, eff. July 1, 2010; Laws 2011, c. 163, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2012; Laws 2013, c. 375, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2014.
NOTE: Laws 1997, c. 259, § 2 repealed by Laws 1998, c. 5, § 29, emerg. eff. March 4, 1998.