(Chicago) – Every year, Oak Lawn and Orland Park-area residents pay over $1.4 million dollars each in state gas taxes, but the budget impasse means Springfield is keeping the money rather than sending it back to help pay for road salt, patching potholes and other necessary road projects and maintenance.

“The gas tax money needs to go back to the local communities where it belongs,” said Senator Bill Cunningham, who represents parts of Oak Lawn and Orland Park.  “We passed legislation that would give the money to local communities and the governor decided to veto that legislation.”

The problem is that money can’t be sent to the counties, townships and municipalities without official authorization. In May, the Senate passed legislation doing so, but the governor vetoed it. Now that money sits in Springfield and can’t be used in local communities.

In 2014, Oak Lawn received $1,403,471 in gas tax money. Orland Park, in 2014, received $1,405,377 in gas taxes.

Additional information about how much local communities are owed in gas tax money is available at http://ilsendems.co/1R5ajOg.

Cunningham and other Illinois Senate Democrats saw this problem coming and tried a second time to prevent it. In September, the Senate approved a plan which would have provided the authority needed to send along the gas tax money. Senate Democrats provided the 36 votes needed to approve it. At Governor Rauner’s instructions, all Republicans opposed the legislation.

The legislation—SB 2046– remains pending in the Illinois House.

“We need to put this money where it can work, not keep it in Springfield where it does nothing. I urge the House to pass the legislation and Governor Rauner sign it,” said Cunningham.