Ohio's increased gas tax now a part of your daily life

By JUSTIN DENNIS

jdennis@vindy.com

Though Ohio gas prices jumped more than 10 cents Monday, Pennsylvanians living near the state line said they’ll likely still visit for a fill-up.

Ohio’s new gas tax hike – 10.5-cent tax on every gallon of gasoline and 19 cents per gallon of diesel – took effect Monday, putting the total tax at 38.5 cents. Pennsylvania, however, still has the highest state gas tax in the nation at 58.7 cents per gallon.

“Yinz really aren’t as bad as you think,” said Mark Anderson, a blacktopper living in Zelienople, Pa., where he saw $2.99 per gallon Monday morning.

He filled up his tank in the afternoon at the Tic Toc Foods BP station along U.S. Route 422 in Lowellville. Though he works out of Coraopolis, Pa., his work said he tries to buy gas across the state line whenever he can.

“It’s 20 cents cheaper at least, so why not?” he said. “I make good money ... but you spend it out there, living on the road, basically, being on the run.”

In Youngstown, the lowest price spotted Monday was $2.47 per gallon at Best Oil along Mahoning Avenue. The highest was $2.69, found at Tic Toc Foods.

In Ohio, $2.22 was the lowest price seen per gallon of regular unleaded fuel and the average price was $2.67, according to GasBuddy.com.

But it was $2.89 per gallon Monday afternoon at the Sheetz gas station along West State Street in New Castle, Pa., where Carrie Vadala of Brookfield, was at the pump.

Vadala is an in-home care provider for autistic children with Sharon Regional Medical Center, and puts a lot of miles on her personal vehicle when heading to appointments. Though work reimburses her mileage, she purposefully picked a car that gets 36 miles to the gallon, and still tries to fill up near home when she can.

In Robinson Township, Pa., where Anderson works a job for a local school, it’s more than $3 per gallon, he said. He estimates he spends about $100 per week on gas.

“Just hope it doesn’t go up anymore,” Anderson said.

Others living across the border do the same, hitting up the Fuel Express along Warren-Sharon Road for a 30- to 40-cent savings or the Flying J in Hubbard because it’s just off Interstate 80, Vadala said.

Tracy Adams lives in New Wilmington, Pa., and works in Villa Maria, Pa., but said she “always” zips over to Ohio to fill up before her 25-mile commute home along Pa. State Route 208, which meets U.S. Route 422 at the border – and sometimes on her days off.

“As far as I’m concerned, for the working person, any money you could save is important,” she said. “And gas is an absolute necessity.”

Ohio counties are estimated to receive an additional $1,529,847 in gas-tax revenue for the 2020 state fiscal year, and $1,543,744 in 2021, according to ODOT – money which is intended to go back into maintaining roads.

“The roads in Ohio seem to be a little better than Pennsylvania,” Anderson said.

“Have you ever driven around New Castle?” scoffed resident Lindy Lauro, wondering where her state’s gas tax revenues are headed, if not to maintain roads.

“It is what it is,” Lauro added. “It’s a necessary evil. We’re kind of at [its] mercy. … You need it.”