Proposed DMV fees will fund county EMS service
Chenango County Treasurer William C. Craine and Preston Town Supervisor Peter Flanagan listen to discussions about a proposed DMV fee at a county board meeting. (Photo by Tyler Murphy)
CHENANGO COUNTY - County administrators are mulling over the idea of an additional monetary charge to motorists which they say will help fund a costly new county-run ambulance service.
The proposal includes a $5 annual motor vehicle use fee for county residents with vehicles that are 3,500 pounds or less, and a $10 annual fee for heavier vehicles. Because most vehicle registrations are renewed bi-annually, motorists can expect to pay $10 or $20 more to cover these additional fees when they renew their two-year registration at the DMV. Vehicles with farm or agriculture plates will be exempt.
The county believes the additional fee will generate roughly $297,000 in revenue each year, with New York State collecting 31 cents per transaction. Money collected by the county would then be used to fund an EMS start-up to serve Chenango County townships that don't have an ambulance service, and to support financially-strapped towns that do.
The projected cost of an EMS start-up is $600,000 with increases every year, according to county attorney Alan Gordon. The proposed motor vehicle use fee, he said, is a good option to help the county offset those costs.
“It’s going to cost us,” he said. “That’s why we decided to do this tax.”
Thirty-eight counties in New York State currently have a similar fee for motorists that helps fund government-run operations. But it’s an option Gordon said has never been utilized by Chenango County officials.
The Chenango County Board of Supervisors have set a public hearing on the proposal. It will be held at 10:40 a.m. Monday, Aug. 9, in the supervisors’ chambers of the county office building in Norwich.
The proposal received mixed feedback from members of the County Board of Supervisors during their monthly meeting Monday. Some argued that an additional tax would be a duplicate cost to City of Norwich residents who already pay local taxes to operate the city’s ambulance services. Likewise, they say it would be unfair to the towns of Norwich and North Norwich which contract with the city for EMS. Others said they’re getting push-back from residents who argue they’re simply overtaxed and don’t want to be saddled by another fee.
“At my last town board meeting, several of my residents were up in arms about this local law,” said Plymouth Supervisor Grace Nucero-Alger. “They feel that this is another tax to be enforced upon the working people. They thought it was a money grab from the people who can least afford it.”
“We also should be looking at being very cautious about raising taxes for our manufacturers, the companies that create jobs,” argued Smyrna Supervisor Michael Khoury who voted against moving ahead with a public hearing. “Once you pile one thing on top of another, they begin to take notice. And one of the important things we’re trying to do at the county at the local level is bring in jobs … Manufacturing does so much for the community and they’re not going to look at this favorably.”
Yet the proposal was moved forward by a majority of the board in an 18-3 vote to hold a public hearing next month, most officials citing the immense challenge of funding a county-run EMS service without the proposed DMV fee.
“I think the bottom line is to ensure we have that [EMS] service, and I don’t see where a $5 or $10 fee, $10 for commercial, is going to hurt many people,” said Charles Mastro, Sherburne town supervisor and chairman of the county’s safety and rules committee. “Maybe during a public comment, some ideas will come out where maybe this won’t work,” he added. “But I’m not sure where we would come up with another $300,000 to fund this other than local share directly in taxes.”
It would be a long process before the local law takes effect. On top of a public hearing and approval from the Chenango County Board of Supervisors, the proposal would need to be registered with the Department of State and the county would enter into an agreement with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to collect fees. In all, county administrators say that, if the law is passed, it’s a six-month process before it would take effect.
The proposal includes a $5 annual motor vehicle use fee for county residents with vehicles that are 3,500 pounds or less, and a $10 annual fee for heavier vehicles. Because most vehicle registrations are renewed bi-annually, motorists can expect to pay $10 or $20 more to cover these additional fees when they renew their two-year registration at the DMV. Vehicles with farm or agriculture plates will be exempt.
The county believes the additional fee will generate roughly $297,000 in revenue each year, with New York State collecting 31 cents per transaction. Money collected by the county would then be used to fund an EMS start-up to serve Chenango County townships that don't have an ambulance service, and to support financially-strapped towns that do.
The projected cost of an EMS start-up is $600,000 with increases every year, according to county attorney Alan Gordon. The proposed motor vehicle use fee, he said, is a good option to help the county offset those costs.
“It’s going to cost us,” he said. “That’s why we decided to do this tax.”
Thirty-eight counties in New York State currently have a similar fee for motorists that helps fund government-run operations. But it’s an option Gordon said has never been utilized by Chenango County officials.
The Chenango County Board of Supervisors have set a public hearing on the proposal. It will be held at 10:40 a.m. Monday, Aug. 9, in the supervisors’ chambers of the county office building in Norwich.
The proposal received mixed feedback from members of the County Board of Supervisors during their monthly meeting Monday. Some argued that an additional tax would be a duplicate cost to City of Norwich residents who already pay local taxes to operate the city’s ambulance services. Likewise, they say it would be unfair to the towns of Norwich and North Norwich which contract with the city for EMS. Others said they’re getting push-back from residents who argue they’re simply overtaxed and don’t want to be saddled by another fee.
“At my last town board meeting, several of my residents were up in arms about this local law,” said Plymouth Supervisor Grace Nucero-Alger. “They feel that this is another tax to be enforced upon the working people. They thought it was a money grab from the people who can least afford it.”
“We also should be looking at being very cautious about raising taxes for our manufacturers, the companies that create jobs,” argued Smyrna Supervisor Michael Khoury who voted against moving ahead with a public hearing. “Once you pile one thing on top of another, they begin to take notice. And one of the important things we’re trying to do at the county at the local level is bring in jobs … Manufacturing does so much for the community and they’re not going to look at this favorably.”
Yet the proposal was moved forward by a majority of the board in an 18-3 vote to hold a public hearing next month, most officials citing the immense challenge of funding a county-run EMS service without the proposed DMV fee.
“I think the bottom line is to ensure we have that [EMS] service, and I don’t see where a $5 or $10 fee, $10 for commercial, is going to hurt many people,” said Charles Mastro, Sherburne town supervisor and chairman of the county’s safety and rules committee. “Maybe during a public comment, some ideas will come out where maybe this won’t work,” he added. “But I’m not sure where we would come up with another $300,000 to fund this other than local share directly in taxes.”
It would be a long process before the local law takes effect. On top of a public hearing and approval from the Chenango County Board of Supervisors, the proposal would need to be registered with the Department of State and the county would enter into an agreement with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to collect fees. In all, county administrators say that, if the law is passed, it’s a six-month process before it would take effect.
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