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Clinton County tables vote on vehicle fee

LOCK HAVEN — Clinton County commissioners have tabled action on the hotly contested proposal of a countywide $5 fee on motor vehicle registrations to be used for roads and bridges after hearing from the public.

Residents attending this week’s meeting complained of a lack of communication between local government and the public and asked for better government transparency.

Kevin Ferrara, a retired Air Force veteran, brought up concerns about the fee spiraling out of control.

“It starts off as a $5 fee. Next it moves to $10 or $20,” and then the state “wants to impose a property tax on vehicles,” he said.

Ferrara outlined money he said the county has received for transportation projects and road work, including a $1.08 million state grant for the Bald Eagle Valley Trail and the $40,000 state grant Renovo Borough received to conduct a feasibility study on sidewalk rehabilitation.

County residents feel the tug on their wallets, he said, but insisted that they do not see results in the roads.

And, he said, money put toward recreation projects and feasibility studies could be used instead to improve roads.

“It seems like the taxpayers, we’re getting hit twice,” he said regarding the $5 county vehicle registration fee on top of the state road tax. “A lot of people would like to see this put to a public vote.”

Commissioners attempted to show how the distribution of government funds works. “We want the public to have clarity and have facts,” especially during a social media firestorm, said Chairman Pete Smeltz. But, he said, he does not support a public vote for the fee.

Commissioner Jeff Snyder said the vehicle registration fee funds that the county would collect would be matched by the state Department of Transportation.

“Those dollars stay local” and go toward municipal roads and bridges, he said.

Some 30 percent of locally owned bridges around the country are failing, according to Rich Kirkpatrick, communications director for PennDOT. And, he said, Pennsylvania is a large state with waterways that cause erosion and flooding problems for its many bridges.

“It continues to be a significant ongoing problem,” he said.

Lycoming County adopted the motor vehicle registration program in the past year.

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