With a host of local road projects that need funding, Warren Fiscal Court voted Wednesday to join other county governments around the commonwealth in calling for changes in how Kentucky pays for transportation projects.

The magistrates voted unanimously to pass a resolution encouraging the General Assembly to “act as soon as possible to address the state’s transportation funding needs to avoid further erosion of the transportation network.”

Kentucky’s current formula for the gasoline tax that funds transportation projects factors in the wholesale price of gas, meaning the tax per gallon drops when the wholesale price drops.

“The resolution means the counties are wanting to voice to the legislature that we’re in need of ongoing maintenance on our roads and that we’re in support of modernizing how that is funded,” Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said.

Motorists in Kentucky currently pay a tax of 26 cents per gallon of gas. That’s a drop from the 32.5-cent tax levied in 2014 when the wholesale gas price was higher.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the drop in the tax rate resulted in a $195 million subtraction from receipt totals for 2015. As a result, many road projects have been put on hold. Locally, improvements to Ky. 185 (Richardsville Road) and other projects remain in limbo.

A bill introduced last year by state Rep. Sal Santoro, R-Florence, would have addressed the funding problem by raising the gas tax and adding renewal charges for electric and hybrid vehicles. The bill would have generated an estimated $433 million per year for the KYTC, but it didn’t get any traction.

“The bill filed last year didn’t get anywhere,” said Katie Haller, member services director for the nonprofit Kentuckians for Better Transportation. “It was overshadowed by the pension legislation.

“What we’re hearing is that the focus in this year’s 30-day session will again be on the pension. We’re hoping for a bill that would change the mechanism for funding transportation. The road fund is in desperate need of more funding.”

Haller said she is still hopeful a bill will be filed by Tuesday, which is the last day for bills to be filed in this legislative session. She noted that neighboring states West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois all have gas taxes higher than Kentucky.

Fiscal court Wednesday also approved spending $9,962.40 for a semi-trailer load of Heritage Red Field Conditioner from Sigma Organics for the county parks and recreation department. The magistrates also approved a $1,980.15 expenditure to Diamond Equipment for repairs to a backhoe used by the county road department.

The next fiscal court meeting will be at 9 a.m. March 5.