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Friday, December 02, 2016

NorCo Council Tables $5 Vehicle Registration Fee

In 2013, the state legislature enacted a massive gas tax, giving the Keystone State the highest gas taxes in the nation, even higher than California and New York. In addition, it authorized counties to impose a $5 "local use fee" on vehicle registrations, so long as the money is used for transportation. Eleven counties have already enacted this additional tax.

Will Northampton County be the twelfth?

That appears to be increasingly unlikely.

In July, Council killed a proposed ordinance that would require you to spend $41 to register your vehicles instead of $36. But the idea was resurrected when the County embarked on an aggressive bridge repair plan,and was scheduled for a vote at last night's meeting.

The matter was tabled without discussion.

Pen Argyl's Jeff Fox urged Council to vote it down. "These hurt the poorest the hardest," he argued. ”Many of the biggest users have vehicles not registered in the county. You can call it a fee or whatever you will. It is indeed another tax. If you call yourself a fiscal conservative or care about the less advantaged within our county, vote it down."

Northampton's John Szazdi called it a "money grab."

There is some concern that the decision to table is a ploy, and that the matter will be voted on again down the road.
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 3, 2016 at 7:49 PM

    Voting this issue dead is the most asinine idea yet. If you use motor vehicles you should pay for the roads and bridges not my father and mother who don't drive and live on fixed incomes. Its no different than if you use a park. Use it, pay for the use. Stop the free loading. I don't mind paying a five dollar tax if the money goes to fixing the County Bridges.

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  2. Bernie O'HareDecember 3, 2016 at 8:34 PM

    It's a stupid and regressive tax. Sorry. In fact, the whole registration money grab should be rethought.

    Vehicles under 1,000 lbs., like most Harleys, should be exempt.

    Cars pay $40 for the first 5,000 miles. Anything over that is $10 per 1,000 miles. Ths a person who drives 10,000 miles pays $90.

    Vehicles that weigh 8,000 lbs or more pay double. This someone who drives a pick-up an puts on 10,000 miles pays $180.

    Vehicles that weigh 20,000 lbs or more,and now we're getting somewhere, double. Most dumptracks would pay $360.

    Fr 30,000 bs. (tractor trailer cab), another double, or $720 for 10,000 miles. The trailer would be another $720,and a double trailer even more.

    This would no doubt generate enough revenue to fix our bridges and roads, and would be much more fair. In fact it is possible you could reduce registration fees for ordinary Joes.


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  3. JoAnnKennedyDecember 4, 2016 at 11:32 AM

    Good -- stop nickel and dime-ing US to death. And Bernie you are so very correct it's a money grab

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  4. JoAnnKennedyDecember 4, 2016 at 11:35 AM

    Look at all the LARGE distribution centers that has been constructed in the last 5 years - where was the impact fees for all those trucks (not dainty over are old and over used bridges) -- as usual We pay and they play around

    ReplyDelete

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