The Huntington County Council met Monday night and voted to proceed with an excise motor vehicle surtax and county wheel tax.
Troy Hostetler, Huntington County highway superintendent outlined some background information during the meeting how the process works for the wheel tax and the Local Option Income Tax, which will be used to fund road repairs.
“What LOIT is the only local optional tax specifically for road funding available in 1980,” Hostetler said.
He added that the vehicle excise surtax is a surtax on the vehicle paid during registration. The tax will be levied on each passenger vehicle, motorcycle and trucks with a gross weight that does not exceed 11,000 pounds. The tax for those vehicles that classify under that category will be subjected to an annual excise surtax of $25. this includes passenger vehicles, light trailers and other light-weight vehicles.
Buses, recreational vehicles, semi trailers, tractors, heavy trailers (greater than 9,000lbs.), light trucks (30,000lbs. or less), heavy trucks (greater than 30,000lbs.) will be charged $40.
According to a information provided to the council by the Huntington County Highway Department, the wheel and excise taxes are necessary because to fund road projects in the county. Hostetler said that if this tax was not approved by the board, there would be very little funding for roads. He said that there are several roads in Huntington County that need addressing, but until the money becomes available, they won’t receive the proper attention.
“Roads in the county are in bad shape. We have not had the money to put in them,” Cindy Yeiter, Huntington County auditor, said.
Resident Alen Scher spoke out at the meeting, asking the council why there was the need to continue raising taxes.
One councilman said it was necessary, despite the fact that the board would like to avoid raising taxes as much as possible. The county is reliant on the state to help fund certain projects, but over the years, due to some shortfalls, it has forced the county to cut costs and potentially raise taxes in certain areas.
County Councilmen Kendall Mickley said that this has been an ongoing process for the last three years, but there has not been much help money wise to supplement Huntington County’s expenses and aging infrastructure.
Road repairs over the next four years is estimated to cost the county $1.2 million dollars. With the implementation of the wheel tax, an additional $806,000 would be available to cut the deficit for those repairs.
“This gives us time to look at other options,” Yeiter said.