Cass County officials weren’t fond of approving an annual tax residents have to pay with their annual vehicle registration fees, but said it remains too integral of a funding source not to.
The Cass County Council voted in favor of keeping the same rates for the Local Option Highway User Tax Friday, April 17. It’s made up of two taxes — a surtax and a wheel tax.
The county first established the tax in 2005 and the rates have not changed since.
For passenger vehicles, motorcycles and trucks up to 11,000 pounds, the tax remains at $25. It ranges from $30 to $35 for trucks 11,001 pounds and more. Trailers used with motor vehicles, including farm trailers, will be taxed between $5 and $25. Recreational vehicles remain at $30. Semi-trailers are still $35. The tax is $30 for tractors not used in combination with a semi-trailer. Tractors used in combination with a semi-trailer to form a semi-trailer-and-tractor including a farm semi-trailer-and-tractor will be taxed at $30. Intercity and intracity buses will be $30.
Council members approved the measure 5-2.
Cass County Council President George Stebbins said he would have voted against the tax had he been a council member when it was first considered. After a decade, the tax is too ingrained in the county’s financial structure to lose, he added.
“That money goes directly to fixing our roads,” Stebbins said.
If the county’s roads were in better condition, he said he might reconsider the tax.
“We’re struggling as it is,” Stebbins added.
Cass County Councilman Grover Bishop shared a similar sentiment.
“We’ve had it, we can’t do away with it anymore,” Bishop said. “Our economic system won’t allow it... I’d rather not have it at all.”
Cass County Highway Superintendent Jeff Smith said the highway department gets about $700,000 a year from the local wheel tax. That’s enough to fund about 58 miles of chip seal, he added.
“It does help tremendously with being able to maintain the roads,” Smith said of the tax.
Smith said the department hopes to do 2 to 3 miles of hot asphalt and 70 miles of chip seal this summer.
The plan for the summer road program will be finalized after the department determines how many repairs will be required for roads badly damaged by last winter’s weather conditions.
“We have so many roads that have exploded,” Smith said.
Cass County Councilman Brian Reed voted against the tax just as he has every year for the more than two terms he’s served. He added the state essentially forces counties to adopt the tax by denying funding in other areas if the tax isn’t adopted.
“I don’t like the state telling the county we have to pass it,” Reed said. “...It’s just another tax to nickel and dime people to death.”
Cass County Councilman Phil Rains opposed the tax as well.
“It seems like we got plenty of taxes,” he said.