After the Minnesota Legislature gave Minnesota counties the option of enacting a $10 wheelage tax on motor vehicles, 47 of Minnesota’s 87 counties have signed on.
The counties will use the money for road and bridge repairs.
The Association of Minnesota Counties estimates that, the 47 counties will collect $33.1 million, reports the Forum newspapers.
“The wheelage tax is essentially a user fee, which is a sensible option outside of property taxes for raising funds locally to pay for local transportation improvements,” said a statement from Joe Vene, a Beltrami County commissioner who is the president of the Association of Minnesota Counties.
Until this year, only metro counties had been allowed to collect the wheelage tax, which had been $5 per vehicle. When the tax was expanded to all counties and raised to $10, Anoka County commissioners voted to end their participation.
It’s not a lot of money, but it’s insulting to those of us who drive small cars, drive sparingly, and whose registration fees amount to 10% the value of their vehicles. The tax is regressive…and furthermore, I thought the money I already gave was for roads and bridges, yet the potholes are still bad, all the lines need repainting, and the plowing work last year was pitiful.