Posted on 04/24/2018 6:35:02 AM PDT by SandRat
PHOENIX — It could soon cost more to register your car or truck in Arizona.
On a 17-13 vote Monday, the Senate gave final approval to allowing the director of the Department of Transportation to levy a fee on each vehicle.
But HB 2261, already approved by the House, does not spell out how much that fee would be. Instead, it tells the agency chief to raise enough to fund the Highway Patrol and a little bit more for good margin.
Legislative budget analysts say the amount ADOT would need to raise is $148.9 million. And that translates out to $18.06 for every vehicle, above and beyond the normal registration fee.
The measure, which now goes to the governor, also will mean a sharp hike in the minimal fee now imposed on those who purchase alternate fuel vehicles. Beginning in 2020, the levy will be based on the price of the vehicle, just as it is now for cars and trucks powered by fossil fuels.
The legislation — and the decision to leave the fee up to the ADOT director — is the culmination of a multiyear effort to find new dollars to help build new roads and repair existing ones.
That is supposed to be financed largely through the gasoline tax. But that 18-cent-a-gallon levy has not been raised since 1991, when gasoline was in the $1.20-a-gallon range.
And while there are more vehicles on the road, they also are more fuel efficient, with the number of road miles driven — and the wear and tear on the roads — increasing faster than new revenues.
What's made matters worse is that current and former governors and lawmakers, looking to balance the budget, have siphoned off some of those gas tax revenues to pay for the Highway Patrol. Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, said that has left fewer dollars for both urban and rural transportation needs.
And given the unwillingness of lawmakers to hike the gas tax, Worsley said funding the Highway Patrol out of a fee on all vehicles using the roads seemed to be the most politically palatable. powered by
But the method of raising the money drew catcalls from several lawmakers.
The Arizona Constitution spells out that any increase in taxes and fees can be approved by only a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate. And that margin is not there.
So the measure crafted by Worsley, along with Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, leaves the actual amount to be raised to the ADOT director. And a recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling concluded that such agency-raised fees are not subject to that two-thirds vote.
Sen. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, suggested to his colleagues that there's something sneaky about that.
"Don't kid yourselves,'' he said.
"This is a tax increase,'' one he said should require a two-thirds vote, Petersen said. "But, unfortunately, this is a nice little loophole to get around it, a loophole that should be closed.''
He called it "the worst kind of tax increase'' because the levy will be determined not by elected legislators but an official appointed by the governor.
"We're going to tell an unelected bureaucrat to go ahead and raise these fees to whatever he wants to,'' Petersen said.
What's even worse, Petersen said, is that there is no guarantee that once the new vehicle fee funds the Highway Patrol that the money saved will be used for transportation needs.
"How is this happening?'' he asked.
Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, also balked at approving a yet-to-be-determined fee.
"I just can't in good conscience pass something I don't know what it is exactly the amount I passed,'' she said.
But Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale, said the lack of specificity on how the saved dollars would be used does not bother him. In fact, he said that's a key reason he's supporting it.
"We've shown the political will here today that we can raise revenue to take care of all of the other issues,'' Quezada said.
WTF?
CRAZY De - Speak!
If you Arizonans would only follow the example of the fine people of Illinois, your problems would be solved. Illinois car registrations are $101/year and that is for any car of any value (including that $1000 used junker). But because Illinois raises so much $ with car registrations, they have no fiscal concerns in state. And do not need tolls on every highway in the suburbs of Chicago. </sarcasm>
Government is force and it is a beast that demands to be fed.
U-Haul hurt most.
If you drive around AZ between Oct-Apr, you see as many out-of-state snowbird plates as AZ ones. Why should us AZ permanent residents subsidize these carpet-baggers?
Raise the gas tax instead, and start charging a HUGE sales fee on these toys-for-the-rich called EVs.
Then pass a bill that out-of-state vehicles that spend more than one week a year in AZ must purchase a registration tag.
If you did that, you could LOWER the registration fee for AZ permanent residents. Problem solved.
Quartzsite used to HATE the snowbirds, and started making things difficult for them, so the snowbirds started staying away.
The town started suffering extraordinarily low revenues during the winter, because all the snowbirds were spending their money in other places where they were welcomed.
Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it!
BTW, Quartzsite now welcomes the snowbirds again.
Toll Roads!!!! Yep, that’s the answer, TOLL ROADS!!!! Solves everyone’s problems, no ‘tax’ increase. Yep, a winner all the way!!! LOL.
We have that in GA. It’s call a value added tax. Last year on an 11 year old vehicle I paid around $100. When it was new the tax was about $225. It’s the most despised tax on the state.
$18? That’s chump change.
In CA they raised it $100, along with the Gas Tax.
Just what I would expect a Canadian to say. We need to make you freeloaders pay your fair share.
And guaranteed to go up each year.
What the hell does the fact that it hasn't been raised since 1991 have to do with anything? They always make it sound like a bad thing that they haven't been able to jack up the taxes every single year. This is a feature not a bug.
And while there are more vehicles on the road, they also are more fuel efficient, with the number of road miles driven — and the wear and tear on the roads — increasing faster than new revenues.
This is absolute bull excrement. The wear and tear of an automobile on the roads is absolutely negligible. It's the big rigs that generates most of the 'wear' on roads. Even with the 'reduction' of revenues due to the cars being more efficient (something I've never seen quantified in any major way), the increase in the number of vehicles will, for the most part make up for any 'loss' due to more efficient cars.
This article is simply apologetics for increasing taxes on vehicles.
The really important part is this:
The Arizona Constitution spells out that any increase in taxes and fees can be approved by only a two-thirds vote of both the House and Senate. And that margin is not there.
So the measure crafted by Worsley, along with Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, leaves the actual amount to be raised to the ADOT director. And a recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling concluded that such agency-raised fees are not subject to that two-thirds vote.
In other words, the law says they need a 2/3 majority to raise taxes, but they are simply going to ignore the law by claiming it's just an 'agency' that is raising a 'fee'.
As usual, the law means nothing. That is, unless it is directed at us. We must obey every rule, regulation and decree by every single layer of government, lest we be fined or imprisoned, and ignorance of said laws, rules, or regulations is no excuse at all, even though it is literally impossible to keep up with every single new law, rule, and regulation imposed upon us every day.
You do know that a “good” coach gets around 8-10 mpg, right? maybe 10-12 if it’s a diesel. Tires aren’t cheap either, and very few RV’s even have a spare.
Or isn’t the road use tax on motor fuel going to the roads? That is the basic problem, not the “who” is on the roads, but where the dollars supposedly allocated to maintenance end up.
That’s OK, the restaurants, fueling stations, laundromats and attractions will do just fine without visitor dollars.
Let the RV’ers know which county (counties) don’t want their money, they will be more than willing to stay away and spend it where they are welcomed.
Quartzsite figured it out. My nationality has nothing to do with anything here, I’m not certain why you brought it up at all.
Because we have a TON of Canadians (and even more northern staters) that live here for six months a year, but pay no income or road taxes. That means citizens of AZ have to subsidize this foreign invasion. They are also notoriously bad tippers that the local service staff complain to me about constantly and celebrate their departure, despite the reduced income.
There needs to be a fair way for these liberal locusts to pay their share of expenses while they “visit” our state like the annoying brother-in-law that decides to move in for a while.
“There needs to be a fair way for these liberal locusts to pay their share of expenses while they “visit” our state like the annoying brother-in-law that decides to move in for a while.”
Do they rent? Do they own?
All seasonal areas have temporary residents.
You are getting something from them.
.
They are net takers. Yes, they spend some money. No, they do not pay their fair share of state overhead. They are not tourists, they are residents, and they are simply taking advantage of the current lack of proper legislation that would free the AZ taxpayer from the burden of their “visits.”
I didn’t say that they were tourists.
If they own they DO pay property taxes and if they rent the landlord pays the property taxes.
I assume that most do not have children so there would be no educational costs.
They DO bring money.
.
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