Alabama Rep. Randall Shedd (R-Fairview), left, and state Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) answer questions about the Alabama gas tax.

HOLLY POND — The lingering bad taste in some Alabama voters’ mouths over having to pay more at the pump was evident Tuesday, as a pair of local legislators met with residents at Holly Pond for a town hall-style meeting that gave the lawmakers a chance to talk about how the funds will be put to use.

The meeting’s question-and-answer session was peppered — in a couple of cases, vehemently — by questions about the need for the statewide tax, the first wave of which takes effect starting next month; as well as whether it will benefit communities directly.

Both Alabama Rep. Randall Shedd (R-Fairview) and state Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) defended their vote in favor of the tax, with Gudger offering a breakdown of how its year-one revenues will dramatically improve the road budgets of area municipalities, as well as the Cullman County Commission.

Gudger ran down a list of before-and-after road revenues for area municipalities, once a year’s worth of gas taxes have been collected under the GOP-supported Rebuild Alabama plan. And in most cases, the increases are projected to be dramatic.

When Gudger noted that the town of Baileyton would be getting an estimated $18,238 in additional road money next year — on top of the $8,200 it received in the present year — Baileyton mayor Johnny Dyar, who was in the audience, drew laughs from the 30 or so people in attendance when he interrupted to proclaim, “I’m glad you passed it!”

Holly Pond itself will see its municipal road funds nearly triple next year thanks to the tax, jumping from $10,727 this year to an estimated $30,238 next year. For their pro-tax vote in March, both lawmakers were rewarded in the legislature by GOP supporters of Gov. Kay Ivey’s tax plan — Gudger with an appointment to the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP-II) Committee; and Shedd with a spot on the new legislative Permanent Joint Transportation Committee.

Gudger’s committee is tasked with overseeing statewide infrastructure projects funded through ATRIP-II; Shedd’s committee has oversight power to approve or amend ALDOT’s annual transportation plan.

Together, both legislators agreed that having local representation on the state’s key transportation decision making bodies can only be a good thing as the gas tax revenues begin to come filtering across.

“The south Alabama legislators all voted for it, and they laughed at us [in north Alabama] — because we vote for a new legislator every term, so we never get on a committee to get our fair share,” said Shedd.

“We make a good team,” Gudger added. “We’re on the right boards because of our [gas tax] vote, and we’re going to continue to fight for the people of this district.”

Hosted by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Affairs Committee, Tuesday’s community forum was one of three that are planned through the month of August. The next meeting, featuring Gudger and Alabama Rep. Corey Harbison (R-Good Hope), will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 15 at Good Hope City Hall. Then at 6 p.m. on Aug. 22, Gudger and Rep. Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle) will meet with residents at the West Point Town Hall.

For more information about this month’s community forums with local legislators, call 256-734-0454.