BIRMINGHAM – Commissioner Sandra Little Brown, Commissioner of Community Services and Roads and Transportation, is requesting the County Legislative Delegation to amend State Representative Paul DeMarco’s bill (HB112) which provides for local Jefferson County cities to be able to levy an additional issuance fee, not to exceed five dollars ($5) for each motor vehicle plate issued by the city.
According to Jefferson County Manager, Tony Petelos, the County collects one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per each motor vehicle transaction. It is estimated that the County’s annual revenue from these transactions is just under one million dollars. Petelos estimates that if the county’s fee was increased the same as provided for in Representative DeMarco’s bill it would generate an additional two million and two hundred thousand dollars for Jefferson County. Petelos say that the revenue from these transactions would allow the county to hire additional employees to eliminate the long tag lines a lot quicker than is currently being done.
Commissioner Brown states, “That this requested amendment could then possibly free up money in the General Fund that could be used to restore services provided by the Roads and Transportation Department to previous levels. Such as increased grass cutting, pot holes repairs, to include possible assistance to local cites in their paving and repair needs.”
Specifically, Commissioner Brown is asking that Representative Paul DeMarco give Jefferson County the same consideration as he has proposed for local cities. This amendment will be additional revenue that would be deposited into the County’s General Fund and shall be used for the operations of the County’s license plate issuing operations.
