County set to receive vehicle tax revenue

Wayne County government prepared Feb. 18 to begin receiving new tax revenue from residents registering their vehicles with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The county council last year enacted local option highway user taxes that took effect Jan. 1. The BMV collects the wheel tax, a $40 charge for large trucks, large trailers, buses and RVs, and 20% excise tax surcharge, expected to cost between the minimum $7.50 and $212.60 for passenger vehicles, small trucks, motorcycles, mopeds and small trailers. Then the money is disbursed to the county. 

During the commissioners’ morning meeting, Mike Sharp, the supervisor of the county highway department, received commissioner approval of a new fund to receive the LOHUT payments and stone/gravel and bituminous line items within that fund. Wayne County Council then created the fund and line items during the evening council/commissioners workshop.

If LOHUT revenue is used for bridge projects, specific line items will be created for those projects within the fund receiving the LOHUT payments. Sharp said that will ease tracking LOHUT revenue and expenditures.

Legislation passed last year by Indiana’s General Assembly changed state road and bridge funding by reducing the state’s commitment to its Community Crossings matching grant program and developing a lane-mile funding system. The county needed to adopt the LOHUTs to become eligible for the lane-mile funds.

Also on Feb. 18, commissioners and council created a fund to receive the state Community Crossings contribution for the Gravel Pit Road bridge project. 

Brandon Sanders, the county’s engineer, said restorations on the two Richmond Avenue bridges will begin March 2 and the replacement of the Bridge Avenue bridge will begin March 9. Sanders expects both Richmond roads will be closed for six months.

Other actions

• Commissioners appointed Adam McQueen, Amanda Mullins and Sarah Welcome to the Community Corrections board.
• Commissioners approved the summary plan that dictates how benefits are administered by Dunn & Associates.
• Council approved paying Interaction Insight Corp. $45,621.80 from its one-time contingency fund for an Emergency Communications Center recording system. Commissioners had approved the vendor Feb. 11.
• Council approved posting and hiring a court reporter position for Superior Court 3, a planning administrator and a part-time grant clerk. The court reporter and planning administrator positions are necessary because of retirements. The grant clerk’s position will move from full time to part time in the auditor’s office, so council also transferred $19,160.40 from the full-time position’s line item to a part-time position line item.