Ohio's temporary fuel tax suspension took effect at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 4 and is scheduled to run until 11:59 p.m. Jan. 2, 2027, per the Ohio Department of Taxation. The department said House Bill 519, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on Oct. 1, lowers the state motor fuel tax from 38.5 cents per gallon for gasoline and 47 cents for diesel to one-hundredth of a cent.
AAA Fuel Prices reported Ashland County's average gasoline price at $3.56 as of Thursday, with a statewide average of $3.72.
The law moves $725 million from state reserve funds to replace the lost revenue so road and infrastructure work continues, according to the taxation department. Ashland County Commissioner Denny Bittle said that provision mattered for keeping county revenue intact.
Commissioner Jim Justice said the $725 million is a ceiling. If costs run past it, he said, the county would have to cover the gap.
County Engineer Ed Meixner told commissioners Sept. 24, while the bill was still pending, that the tax brings his office roughly $325,000 a month and that he was unsure he could pay all engineering bills if it stopped. The reserve transfer has since reduced that risk.
State Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) voted Wednesday to support the temporary suspension.