County clerk: new license plates not a sure thing
CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Clerk's Office is voicing uncertainty over a statewide initiative that's allowing New Yorkers to choose the state's new license plate design.
County Clerk Mary Weidman told members of the county's Safety and Rules Committee on Wednesday that the contest has gray area that's currently being challenged by clerks across the state, mostly due to fees attached to Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to update aging license plates.
“I don't know if it's really going to happen,” said Weidman, recalling similar efforts spearheaded by former Gov. David Paterson in 2009 in which the legislature shot down a proposal to use a new license plate replacement fee to bolster the state budget.
“There's a lot of actions that are still pending,” Weidman added. “Clerks are arguing with it.”
Cuomo announced this week that New Yorkers can vote for one of five proposed designs, three of which feature the Statue of Liberty and one depicting the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (formerly the Tappan Zee Bridge). The winning design will become the state's official license plate available in 2020.
Critics slam the proposal because unlike the state's switch to the current gold and blue design a decade ago, the latest switch comes with a mandatory $25 license plate replacement fee for registered vehicles with plates that are 10-years-old or older (estimated to be 3 million statewide). That's on top of the cost of registration renewal.
Drivers may also pay a $20 fee to keep their current license plate number.
The governor said that replacing aging plates will eliminate legibility issues that hinder license plate readers used by law enforcement, red light cameras and cashless tolling stems.
But Republican legislators are calling out the the governor, saying that the contest is simply a ploy to add a new tax.
“While many older plates are wearing out and becoming more difficult for law enforcement to read, it's clear that this is just a 'creative' way to announce a new tax on New Yorkers,” said Senator Fred Akshar (R-52nd Senate District). “I'm a fan of constituent surveys, but mine don't come with new taxes and fees smuggled in.”
Senate Republican Leader John Flanagan called the initiative “the latest example of Albany's nickel-and-diming hardworking middle-class taxpayers.”
New Yorkers can vote on a new license plate design on the governor's website. The voting form asks for a first and last name, postal code, and email address.
County Clerk Mary Weidman told members of the county's Safety and Rules Committee on Wednesday that the contest has gray area that's currently being challenged by clerks across the state, mostly due to fees attached to Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to update aging license plates.
“I don't know if it's really going to happen,” said Weidman, recalling similar efforts spearheaded by former Gov. David Paterson in 2009 in which the legislature shot down a proposal to use a new license plate replacement fee to bolster the state budget.
“There's a lot of actions that are still pending,” Weidman added. “Clerks are arguing with it.”
Cuomo announced this week that New Yorkers can vote for one of five proposed designs, three of which feature the Statue of Liberty and one depicting the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (formerly the Tappan Zee Bridge). The winning design will become the state's official license plate available in 2020.
Critics slam the proposal because unlike the state's switch to the current gold and blue design a decade ago, the latest switch comes with a mandatory $25 license plate replacement fee for registered vehicles with plates that are 10-years-old or older (estimated to be 3 million statewide). That's on top of the cost of registration renewal.
Drivers may also pay a $20 fee to keep their current license plate number.
The governor said that replacing aging plates will eliminate legibility issues that hinder license plate readers used by law enforcement, red light cameras and cashless tolling stems.
But Republican legislators are calling out the the governor, saying that the contest is simply a ploy to add a new tax.
“While many older plates are wearing out and becoming more difficult for law enforcement to read, it's clear that this is just a 'creative' way to announce a new tax on New Yorkers,” said Senator Fred Akshar (R-52nd Senate District). “I'm a fan of constituent surveys, but mine don't come with new taxes and fees smuggled in.”
Senate Republican Leader John Flanagan called the initiative “the latest example of Albany's nickel-and-diming hardworking middle-class taxpayers.”
New Yorkers can vote on a new license plate design on the governor's website. The voting form asks for a first and last name, postal code, and email address.
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