Smith County Seeks State Funding for Road Maintenance

Counties urge Texas lawmakers to allocate more motor fuels tax revenue to local road projects

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Smith County, along with other Texas counties, is seeking to secure more state funding for infrastructure and road maintenance without increasing local property taxes. The commissioners unanimously voted for a resolution that urges the state legislature to allocate 5% of the motor fuels tax revenue, around $190 million, to the county and road district highway fund, which is currently only receiving $7.3 million annually.

Why it matters

Many Texas counties are struggling to maintain their roads and infrastructure due to limited funding. This push for increased state funding could provide much-needed resources for local road projects without burdening taxpayers with higher property taxes.

The details

The current Texas motor fuels tax generates around $3.85 billion annually, with one-fourth dedicated to the available school fund and the remaining three-fourths to the state highway fund. Out of the state highway fund, only $7.3 million is allocated to the county and road district highway fund that is split between 254 counties. The counties are asking the legislature to allocate 5% of the motor fuels tax revenue, which would amount to $190 million, to the county and road district highway fund. They are also requesting 5% of electric vehicle registration fee revenues be added to this fund.

  • The Smith County Commissioners Court unanimously voted for the resolution during their Tuesday weekly meeting.
  • The State Republican Executive Committee passed the resolution during their meeting on February 7, 2026.

The players

Neal Franklin

Smith County Judge

Travis Ransom

Cass County Judge, who has been working to change the state's road funding allocation

Christina Drewry

Smith County Commissioner

Paul Hale

State Republican Committeeman

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What they’re saying

“So what we're asking the legislature to do is to allocate one penny, which is 5% of the state motor fuels tax, to the county and road district highway fund.”

— Neal Franklin, Smith County Judge (tylerpaper.com)

“This could really make a substantial difference in our funding and they'll adjust that to your county size and number of road miles. I would love to see this go through and it hasn't been adjusted in 75 years.”

— Neal Franklin, Smith County Judge (tylerpaper.com)

“So we have good support.”

— Christina Drewry, Smith County Commissioner (tylerpaper.com)

What’s next

The judge in Smith County said he hopes the state legislature will take up the resolution and adjust the motor fuels tax allocation to provide more funding for local road projects across Texas.

The takeaway

This push for increased state funding for local roads highlights the ongoing challenges many Texas counties face in maintaining their infrastructure without raising property taxes. If successful, the proposed changes could provide a much-needed boost in resources for road maintenance and improvements across the state.