Macon County received about $1.5 million in state road money over the past year, up 17 percent from two years earlier, as Missouri's fuel tax increase reached its final step, according to Missouri Department of Revenue payment records.
The money comes through the County Aid Road Trust, a state fund that passes part of Missouri's motor fuel tax, motor vehicle sales tax, and vehicle fee revenue to counties and cities for local roads and streets. The department sends the payments each month.
The county's 12 most recent monthly payments, covering October 2025 through September 2026 and sent by the department from mid-November 2025 through Oct. 16, totaled $1,500,068. The same 12 months two years earlier brought in $1,279,865. That is a gain of about $220,200.
Fuel tax accounted for most of the money and most of the growth. The county's fuel tax share rose to about $1.17 million from $965,000 over those two years. Motor vehicle sales tax added about $237,000 in the most recent year, and the vehicle fee increase added about $92,000.
Missouri's tax on gasoline and diesel rose in 2.5-cent steps under a 2021 state law, from 17 cents a gallon through September 2021 to 29.5 cents a gallon starting July 1, 2025, according to the department. All 12 of the most recent monthly payments were based on fuel taxed at the top rate.
The difference shows up in single months, too. For September 2021, the last month before the first increase took effect, Macon County's payment was $77,766, including $51,940 from fuel tax. For September 2026, it was $127,373, including $101,079 from fuel tax.
Macon County drew more road money over the past year than any of its seven neighboring counties:
- Macon County: $1,500,068, up 17 percent from two years earlier.
- Adair County: $1,453,041, up 32 percent.
- Chariton County: $1,331,735, up 17 percent.
- Randolph County: $1,321,540, up 14 percent.
- Monroe County: $1,167,342, up 18 percent.
- Linn County: $1,122,522, up 17 percent.
- Shelby County: $956,053, up 17 percent.
- Knox County: $844,787, up 18 percent.
The department's reports do not explain why Adair County's payments grew about twice as fast as its neighbors'.
Towns in Macon County receive their own payments from the same fund, separate from the county's. Over the past 12 months, the city of Macon received $333,282, up 15 percent from two years earlier. La Plata received $76,770, Bevier $38,843, Atlanta $23,147, Callao $15,330, New Cambria $9,344, Elmer $3,115, Ethel $2,504, and South Gifford $1,344. Every town's payments rose by the same share, about 15 percent.
Together, the county and its nine towns received about $2 million from the fund over the past year.
The fuel tax law also lets drivers claim back the 12.5 cents a gallon added since 2021 for fuel they put in vehicles weighing 26,000 pounds or less. Claims must be filed between July 1 and Sept. 30 after the state's fiscal year ends, so the window for fuel bought from July 2025 through June 2026 closed Sept. 30, according to the department. The next window, for fuel bought from July 2026 through June 2027, opens July 1, 2027.