This is the information from todays License Tax meeting, that my buddy Mick Balogh posted. One important point to emphasis is that this tax WILL be voted on. I hope that was the plan all along but I am unsure. There was a comment made about the information being shared on social media. I am thinking they might have changed their minds as a result of the news of this tax spreading among the voters. I will be attending next Mondays meeting and will share my experience with everyone. I also want to stress that I plan to support the taxes if they will improve our infrastructure. A little more background on this initiative and why it came to light. The state cut the county highway department by $186,000 after this initiative was undertaken. This was proposed to attempt to bring in enough funds to maintain a level commensurate with the increasing costs of fuel, materials and maintenance. The county highway department maintains 411 miles of roads which include those that cross Wills Creek and Leatherwood Creek and other streams and valleys. The bridge that was closed on Oakwood near Vocational Rd will need replaced and the cost of just that one project is expected to cost $3.7 million. That money is not available and there is no anticipated date when it may be in place. The commissioners expect this $5 license to generate roughly $150,000. If you do the math the $186,000 that was lost will generate a decrease of available funds by $36,000. I stated “Five dollars just is not enough to maintain our current posture much less recover the increases of future demands and it wouldnt be inappropriate to ask for a $20 or even $25 increase. The monies generated would come from the source that impacts the problem - the vehicles that operate on our roadways. Though their personal commodities traverse our roadways like all of us many seniors and the non driving public would not be asked to contribute to this cause.” I seriously doubt that increases of that magnitude have any chance of passing in November but this little bandage will curtail some of the decline and not serve it’s initial intended purpose. The oil and gas industry impact on our roads was discussed in depth and those in attendance were satisfied that those entities are currently doing their fair share through bonding and individual requests to make repairs as needed. There is a complex formula in place to allocate the funds achieved at the state level and how those funds are distributed. I stated that the one percent tax the Ohio Governor has initiated would be distributed with 20% going to Appalachian Counties with the other 80% redirected in other areas of the state. One commissioner stated that the fallout funding from the casino taxes did not come to our area in the form of dollars. (Keep in mind that there is some slight appreciation in the form of education and possible rehabilitation for those afflicted to gambling.) I can’t say that the 80/20 distribution of that is fair but this meeting was not the forum to engage in that topic. In conclusion I will again state that we will be given the opportunity to vote on the $5 license plate fee increase in November. That was stated several times specifically and emphatically...
Posted on: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 02:46:53 +0000
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