Pulaski County will not be charging its residents a wheel tax in the near future. The issue was discussed during last week’s joint county council and commissioners meeting, after the Bureau of Motor Vehicles asked for an update.
Ongoing Wheel Tax Discussions Endorsed by Pulaski Commissioners
A wheel tax has been recommended for further consideration in Pulaski County.
The fee – assessed annually against motorists during their license plate renewal – has been discussed for a few weeks in area counties to improve and maintain roads. The Pulaski County Commissioners considered the item prior to a joint meeting with the County Council next week.
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Starke County Not Considering Wheel Tax Yet
The Starke County Highway Department still has plenty of money to keep up with planned road maintenance this year. Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the county commissioners last night that includes nearly 30 miles of paving this summer and crack sealing an additional 10 miles roads. Some chip sealing work will also be done. Continue reading
Starke County Officials Appoint Committee to Study Wheel Tax
Starke County Council members want more information about proposed wheel tax rates, types of vehicles that would be taxed and how any funds generated would be used for road improvements before making any decision about implementing such a tax. County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler will chair a committee comprised of council members Marvin McLaughlin, Freddie Baker and Bob Sims and Commissioner Kathy Norem. After they discuss the details, a public input meeting will be scheduled to further explain the process. Ritzler has streamlined the highway department’s operations since taking over but says efficiency can only go so far. “Our limiting factor is the oil and stone that we use to improve roads. We have a certain amount of funding sources, we used them all. The only way of increasing is a user tax that is available to us, a user fee. 47 of the 92 counties in Indiana have it. Of the counties that don’t have it, many have an additional source of funding that’s not available to us, and that’s riverboat gambling money. We are in the bottom fifth of road conditions in the state,” Ritzler told the council. Continue reading
Starke County Council Opts to Wait on Wheel Tax
The Starke County Council is waiting to see if a mandatory wheel tax proposal gains traction in the state Senate before voting to implement one locally.
The state Senate is pushing a plan that would require all 92 Indiana counties to implement an excise tax on annual vehicle registrations in order to get their full share of road money. Currently only 45 counties have such a tax on the books. St. Joseph is the only county adjacent to Starke that collects the tax. House members have backed away from the controversial proposal.
